Enjoy The Silence
by running.through.my.dreams.x3
Summary: I stared at him, my heart a slow beat inside of my chest. The look on his face, in his eyes, I felt like I was reading everything about him. He wasn't one to love, he believes he is a monster. But I knew another side of him, one that no one else knew, not even Elena. In such short words, I felt alive, we felt real. "I can't stand the idea of you hating forever." He whispered.
1. The Goodbye

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter One.**

December 23, 2012

What person in their right mind moves away two days before Christmas?

Oh, that's right. _Me_.

I couldn't stand to be in the small, rainy town of Forks in Washington for a second longer. Now that I was eighteen, I was free to do what I wanted, even though I was _barely_ legal . . . . _barely_ an adult. But I've overstayed my welcome, I couldn't bear the thoughts that clouded my mind in the most retched ways. It didn't take me very long to run home as fast as I could after getting into an argument with my_ now_ ex-boyfriend, ditching my '57 Chevy Pickup in the vast gravel driveway, deciding that he can reminisce in his brooding thoughts while staring at my truck every single day until he finally found the courage to remove it, bring it back to me, only when he conjures that idea, I'll be long gone.

As usual, my house was silent by the time I returned from my day.

Charlie, my father who was the Chief of Police, was probably still working on the Biers case; his parents were so determined in finding him that they weren't giving up, even though it's been almost a year since their son Riley's disappearance. Not that my father blamed them, he'd do the same thing if it was me. Swallowing hard, I made my way up to my bedroom and closed the door behind me: I had it all planned out. My bags were quick to fill with my belongings, the only problem was that I didn't have my car, that part I didn't really think through, writing my note to Charlie was a little nerve-wrecking. I had done this not once, but twice, before and I knew how much this would hurt my father by me leaving. Only, the first time was a fluke and it was to lead the tracker away from my home so Charlie was not harmed in the process of Edward Cullen saving my life, and then the second time, I wasn't truly leaving home, I just went with Alice, my best friend, to Italy so I could be the one to save Edward's life, as he presumed I was dead after a vision Alice had seen of me cliff diving, and when I'd gotten home: Charlie grounded me. Only this time, I wasn't and didn't plan on coming home, with no doubt in my mind that this was the right decision, it was better for everyone.

Looking around my bedroom one last time, I grabbed my bags, my phone, my wallet, and zipped up my jacket, heading out of the house entirely. I brought the phone to my ear, calling my best friend, the one who was driving me to the airport. He wasn't too happy about my leaving, until I explained what happened, it made him sad that I was leaving Forks entirely, but I told him that he could come visit me during the school breaks if he wanted to. I'm sure his father wouldn't mind, once things got settled in my new home, if I ever found a stable one in the place I intended on going.

"Hey." His deep, husky voice breathed into the phone. "You ready?"

"Mhm, I'll be waiting outside. Just hurry, okay? I wanna leave before Charlie comes home." I mumbled into the receiver, gripping my one bag in my hand.

"Why?" he questioned softly, I could hear him leaving the house on the other end of the line, opening the door to his Volkswagen Rabbit. The sound of an engine purred faintly in the background, which meant he was already leaving to come get me, and I couldn't help but smile. . . he was actually doing this, for me. He wanted me happy, and he knew that by me leaving, I was trying to be happier about my current situation.

"Make it easier on Charlie." I finally responded.

"Be there soon." He said, and then the line went dead. I ended the phone call, slipping my phone into the pocket of my coat, standing on the curb while waiting for him. I was lucky that I'd chosen a night, which was surprisingly at it's warmest in December, where there was no snow or rain; I found this as an uprising since good luck usually tended to avoid me in the simplest of ways. I took this as a sign that I was meant to leave Forks, meant to leave everything behind and start over, _again_.

I unzipped my jacket a little, tucking a strand of my slightly-frizzed dark brown hair behind my ear, looking up and down the road to see if he'd show up sooner than expected. I wanted to avoid confrontations of any kind, with my Dad, with any neighbors, or even-

"Where do you think you're going?" a chirpy voice asked sharply. It was a new tone, one I'd never heard come out of her mouth. She must be pissed by my decision.

Slowly, I turned to come face-to-face with Alice, as expected; I'd known she would see that I was determined to leave Forks, but her subjective visions probably left out why and from my guesses, she didn't know why Edward and I have broken up, or if she did, she was just playing stupid, wanting me to confess everything to her. But what I didn't get, was how she was able to see my future if I'd favored calling in my Quileute friend, openly knowing that he would be blocking Alice from seeing me, that way I was able to avoid. . . well,_ this_.

"Alice..." I said gently through my teeth.

"Bella, please don't leave. He's going to be so lost without you." Quickly, I searched her eyes, differing whether or not she was telling me the truth. I wanted to say so many things, but I would never want to hurt her feelings, blandly telling her about how wrong she is - I knew he wouldn't miss me, for if he would, which I was counting on after the Holiday's the very least, and that nothing was going to change my mind. What's done, is done, at this point.

"I'm sorry, Alice. But I have to go." I fought biting my lip, tried so desperately to not look into Alice's eyes - she would give me this pleading look, a look that allowed Alice to always get what she wanted, but I wasn't going to cave in. I needed to go.

"Let him explain." She whispered, her angelic voice ringing like wind chimes in the gusting winter wind.

"No, Alice. I don't want to hear anything. I don't want to see him. I'm leaving." I insisted, nearly speaking through my teeth. And then, I swallowed hard. "If it makes you feel better, you can come visit me... I-I ... I know how much I'm going to miss you, it's a fact, and then there's still calling me, you know... But I need to leave Forks, Alice. Please understand."

I could feel the guilt building up inside of me, but I wasn't going to let it surface, I couldn't let Alice know that I was feeling terrible, about leaving her behind. I would miss her and Jacob the most, out of everyone I've come to know in Forks, aside from my own father - the same proposition applied to him, once I left this God forsaken town, said so in my letter.

"Where are you headed?" She asked, even though she probably knew the answer. I looked down at my hands, mistakenly locking my eyes on the enchanting ring that had once belonged to Edward's biological mother, Elizabeth Mason - something I wasn't ready to let go of, no matter how angry and annoyed I was with my ex-boyfriend. It was beautiful, and even though I didn't want there to be: I had a small ounce of hope. Maybe Edward would come to his senses, and somehow, someday, follow me off to where I was headed.

But that, obviously, was a long shot.

"Virginia." I replied in a small voice, as if there was a chance that other vampires might be lurking. Such as Edward.

Her tongue swiftly slid along her bottom lip, then disappeared back into her mouth, her eyes drifting upward slightly as she thought it over. After blinking a few times, Alice finally looked back at me, her shoulders lifting slightly as she inhaled, then dropping when she let out that breath in a deep sigh: for once, I'd won against Alice. A small bubble of triumph burst in my veins, stomach, and heart; not even Edward was truly capable of winning something against Alice, and he was a mind reader - the look on her petite, pixie face told me that it was a deal, and I almost smirked as I faintly heard the vampire whisper something along the lines of, _Edward is going to kill me when he finds this out_, under her breath.

"He doesn't have to know that you're going to visit me. Just avoid thinking about it when around him." I muttered in assistance, casually looking along the road again, wondering what was taking Jacob so long in getting here - it never took him this long to get to my house, he knew the main and back roads like I couldn't even believe. But then again, not_everyone_ drove like the Cullen's.

"He's almost here." Alice said flatly, I looked over at her and she scrunched her nose slightly. She smelled Jacob.

"I'll see you soon, I promise." I pulled Alice into a hug, memories of saying goodbye to my mother when I first chose to come to Forks flashed briefly through my mind, and they came stronger, faster, like a movie playing in my head the moment Alice returned my embrace, careful not to crush me in her strong grasp. She pulled away just as I heard the sound of tires crunching over the gravel echoing through my ears, we both turned to see that the red Rabbit had pulled into my driveway, a grinning Jacob came into view as the slightly tinted window was rolled down.

"See you soon." Alice said, her butterscotch eyes drifting toward Jacob. I watched as she slowly shook her head, then rolled her eyes.

And just like that, Alice was gone.

"Ready?" Jacob said gruffly.

"Charlie should be home soon." I said, rounding to the other side of the car and opening the door, Jacob nodded slowly.

I threw my few bags into the backseat, then settled down into the passenger's seat beside my favorite mechanic-best friend, closing the door after me. Jacob started up the engine again, glancing over his shoulder as he backed out of the driveway, swallowing hard as he turned the wheel, gently pressing his foot down on the gas peddle and coasting down the street, into the night. I glanced out the window, watching as the trees went by blindingly, and bit down softly on my lower lip, placing my hands in my lap and nervously playing with the hem of my shirt that peaked out at the bottom from my zipped up jacket. I could feel each time Jacob looked over at me, but nothing was said, instead he only turned on the radio to avoid the entire ride being silent.

I leaned my head against the window, blinking a few times, my body slowly shutting down as I abruptly grew tired; it'd definitely been a_ long_ day.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Jacob murmured; being the last thing I heard before falling into a slumber for the next hour.

* * *

**AN: **For the curious minds of my readers:

The Cullen family are a different breed of vampires from the Salvatore's and Caroline, I'll go into a little bit of depth later on in the story.

This is an alternate version of Eclipse. It takes place in December, as noted in the beginning of this chapter.

Bella is a virgin, the fight with Victoria has not happened, it's her senior year, but Bella did not turn nineteen this passed birthday. Instead, she turned eighteen, and the incident with Jasper did not happen on her birthday, instead it took place just before the end of the summer at a party that the Cullen's were throwing for a Back To School gathering. Edward did not attend the first part of senior year, he returned in November, which is when the events towards the end of New Moon happened. Bella and Edward are engaged, and she has Elizabeth Mason's ring on her left hand. She came to Forks in the beginning of her Junior year in high school, instead of the end, that way she had more time to meet Edward, and there was a longer span of time between them.

As for Vampire Diaries, it takes place in the early setting of Season 2, before Damon tells Elena that he loves her, and compelled her to forget, for the sake of the story.  
The Salvatore's know that Katherine is in town, but they don't know where she is hiding.

I will not tell you in this author's note, what happened that made Bella decide to leave Edward and Forks behind.

You'll just have to wait for later chapters, or I'll let your imaginations wander.


	2. Hello, Elena's Cousin

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Two.**

December 24, 2012

The best thing to find out after taking a steaming hot shower on Christmas Eve, is hearing that someone is going to be living with my younger brother's girlfriend. Acknowleding this, it warmed and cockled my heart, because it was definitely going to make things so much more entertaining in this tragic town of Mystic Falls, a place where I'd been born in 1840. Not only was I going to be around more, but it added to the fact that I was bringing an eternity of misery to Stefan by tormenting his relationship with a psychotic bitch's doppelgänger, whom everyone thought I was in love with but I would gladly deny if they had the decency to confront me about it. Although, I do admit that it's fun getting in the midst of their relationship - it made me think of when I'd first met her, before she knew about me and my brother's little secret, our past, the woman we were in love with. And, I could only imagine how much more fun it would be to have this girl around, toying with her, maybe even the way I'd had my fun with the perky annoying blonde newly-turned Barbie, Caroline Forbes, during the first few days/weeks of my visit in town.

"Damon," I heard Stefan grumble from down the hall in his bedroom.

I could only chuckle, running my fingers through my damp dark brown hair, pushing the strands away from my light blue eyes. "Oh yes, Stefan?" I called back in my most innocent, gay-like voice. It annoyed him everytime I spoke this way, he knew it was the tone I used whenever I was displeased about something. Make him think that I was bummed about this new girl coming to town, or maybe. . . Turn it around, cause my brother to come to the conclusion I'm excited about her, to throw him off about his girlfriend secretly wanting me, or that's my opinion anyway. No one can resist my undoubtfully charming good looks, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she knows she felt something when I kissed her in her bedroom - but that's old news, for right now.

Moments later, my brother appeared in the doorway of my own bedroom. "I'm taking Elena to the airport. You coming?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Why would I want to?" I feigned annoyance, boredom, and disgust.

Stefan could only roll his eyes. "Because it's Elena."

Caught me there, younger brother. "Yeah, I'm going... I guess." I let out a small, but heavy sigh.

"Leaving in about five minutes. Have the decency to put on a shirt, brother?" Stefan cracked a smile, but I knew it was just to try and be playful with me; to not sour my mood, for fear he probably doesn't want me scaring off whoever is coming to live with the luscious dark haired beauty from some rainy town on the other side of the country.

"Maybe I want to flaunt my abs to this girl," I smirked and grabbed the black silk John Varvatos shirt that was draped over the back of the chair by my desk, causing Stefan to roll his eyes at me again. I swear, that's going to become a permanent thing for him, every time he would see me, he'd end up rolling his eyes and I'd just casually walk away like nothing even mattered to me. Oh, well. After letting out a heavy sigh, my younger brother turned on his heel and disappeared down the hall to finish getting dressed before leaving to pick up his girl. I slid on the shirt, popping the collar, and snapping the buttons, leaving the first two undone: might as well give this girl a little show, flaunt around, peak of what she's been missing out on while livign in Bumble-Fuck, wherever the hell she is coming from. . .

Not even ten minutes later, Stefan came knocking on my door, just as I was finishing up brushing my teeth; even as a vampire, I was completely anal about my hygiene, I would assume my brother was the same way, and if not, I feel incredibly bad for Elena. Stefan crossed his arms firmly over his chest, blinking a few times, I could tell he was impatiently waiting for me. This time, I was the one to roll my eyes, tossing my tooth brush into the bathroom sink, and shoving passed him on the way out of my bedroom.

"My car." I grinned as I jingled the keys to my '69 Camaro SS Convertible while heading out the Boarding House, the suns rays temporarily warming the skin I exposed on my chest, my face, neck, and hands. Stefan mumbled incoherent curses under his breath, but didn't fight - he knew my car would be better in coming back, and dropping them off at the Gilbert house instead of his '63 Porsche Karmann Coupe. Silence, as we got into the respectable seats of my car, not counting the loud roaring of my engine against the gravel before pulling out the driveway.

It wasn't before long that we pulled up in front of the Gilbert house, where I got a bewildered look from the brown eyed girl sitting on the front steps.

I saw that she swallowed hard, standing up and brushing imaginary dust off the back of her jeans. The muscles in her jaw became taut, which meant she was still entirely pissed about me snapping her younger brother's neck while I was drunk after Katherine Pierce had set me off, drove me off the edge, into the deep end. Not my fault I spent 145 years loving the woman, only to find out that she only loved and wanted Stefan in the end; but_ that_'s not what caused me to snap. No, it was hearing from her that _she_ only wanted Stefan,_ too_. . . Without a word to me or Stefan, Elena Gilbert got into the back seat of my car, intensely staring out the window. I grinned, looking at her through the rearview mirror, starting up the engine and flooring it, racing down the conveniently vacant road, driving along the twining roads that eventually brought us just two towns over to the airport in Charlottesville.

"Stay here." Stefan murmured just low enough for me. I shrugged and leaned more back into the vinyl seat of my car, putting both hands behind my head and closing my eyes, listening to both Stefan and Elena get out of my car - they walked off, toward the airport, leaving me alone in my thoughts, to go get whoever was coming to live here.

But this alone time didn't last very long, for I could hear a new sounding of footsteps colliding with the familiarity of my brother and Elena's. Slowly, my eyes opened, and coming into view as they approached my car was someone with smooth ivory skin, a heart shaped face, eyes the color of dark chocolate, heavy dark brown hair that shone with a tint of red under the sunlight, a petite frame, and she was a little taller than Elena. She was cute, I'll admit that. But I also found myself wanting to know her, the same way Stefan wanted to know Elena when he returned to Mystic Falls - only I was sure this was different, I wasn't eternally in love, I wasn't trying to make sure she wasn't someone I thought. . . no, I was just_ intrigued_. And I didn't even know her name.

The bags were tossed into the trunk of my car after I handed Stefan the key that dangled in the ignition, everyone got into my car in silence, which only made me roll my eyes with irritation - the eerie silence was okay at points, but not all the freakin' time, like seriously. Was I the God of Silence or something? That everyone had to hush into a depressed silence whenever they were in my presence? It gets annoying, and hopefully none makes a habit out of this kind of shit.

"Who's your friend?" I grinned as I started up my car once Stefan handed the keys back to me.

Elena rolled her eyes and let out a small sigh. "This is my cousin, Isa-"

"I'm Bella Swan." the paler brunette _-kindly_- interrupted.

"Damon." I felt my lips slant into a lopsided smile, glancing at her in the rearview mirror before turning on the radio, and driving out of the airport's parking lot.

"It's nice to meet you." she said, her own lips curved into a slight smile, almost showing her teeth. Stefan and Elena sighed in unison, I almost laughed.

"We'll see."

And with that, the remainder of the car ride was silent going back to Mystic Falls, but oddly enough, this time, I did not mind.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry that this is such a shortie. I promise the next one will be longer, but I wanted to get Damon's point of view before turning off my computer for the night.

Normally, I'd write more, but I have a headache and I'm feeling really upset. I hope you liked my update.

Love you guys. XOXO.


	3. Welcome To Mystic Falls

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

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**Chapter Three.**

December 24, 2012

I think saying goodbye to Jacob was the hardest thing I had to do.

Yeah, I was nervous about saying goodbye to Charlie for the third time, but it didn't break my heart. I felt sad for Alice, but this is what had to be done. I'd already said my goodbye to Edward, and he didn't even realize that it was the last time he'd see me. But then there was Jacob. . . he was my best friend, he'd been there for me through everything, and he was also in love with me; worst of all? He didn't even know Edward had proposed to me, and just the thought of _his _name abruptly made me cringe in my seat on the plane. I glanced out the circular window, watching as the plane careened off the runway and soared up into the darkened sky. I looked down at my hands in my lap, staring at the ring that belonged to Elizabeth on the fourth finger of my left hand. I swallowed hard, brushing my fingertips across the diamonds that made up the oval shape. I knew I'd have to take it off, but right now, I just couldn't - it was the hold I had on Edward, and as crazy as it sounded, the ring was also the motivation I had for leaving Forks, kept me strong enough to continue with leaving Forks. Selfishly thinking, if he _truly_ loved me, he _would_ come for me and find me, slap Alice mentally around to get it out of her and her visions. **  
**

Pushing those thoughts aside, I pulled my iPod from my pocket and plugged in the headphones, powering it on. The first song was my lullaby, and I mentally cringed, wondering how Edward had gotten it on there, but quickly changing to the next song, which was _My Love _by Sia Furler - it wasn't one of my favorite songs, but it was a good one. Blinking a few times, I found myself struggling in fighting the sleep, only I didn't want to sleep, at least not yet. Not before I had the chance to text my cousin, before getting in the dead zone range. I slid my phone from my jacket and went through my contact list, searching for my cousin's name; it made me remember that I haven't talked to her in a long time.

**Bella: **_Hey_

It took not even thirty seconds for me to get a response.

**Elena: **_Bella, hey.. What's up?  
_**Bella: **_How are you and Jeremy? And, I have a question..._

I prayed that my cousin would write back quickly, since I didn't have a lot of time. I shut my eyes, taking a small breath, then reopening them when I felt my phone beginning to go into a vibration frenzy in my lap, opening up the message and smiling a little.

**Elena: **_we're okay. What's your question? How's Charlie?_

I swallowed hard, my fingers flying across the keyboard.

**Bella: **_Charlie's doing ... okay. But, um, how would Jenna feel about me living with you guys for a while..?  
_**Elena:** _I don't think Jenna would have a problem.. She's barely here, anyway. Always on campus. Why?_

And thus, I compose the final message before losing all service until I've landed.

**Bella:** Because I'm on a plane to Virginia. It's a 4 hour plane ride.

I watched as the little bars in the corner began to disappear until none of them were left, a triangle forming as it the roaming symbol started flashing. I bit my lip, powering off my phone and sliding it back into my jacket pocket, slouching a little as I reclined back slightly, shutting my eyes and turning up the volume on my iPod, now listening to _Kiss_ _Me _by Ed Sheeran.

- 4 hours, 30 Minutes Later -

I wasn't even sure of the time when the plane finally coasted and lowered toward the catwalk for Charlottesville Airport, the flight attendant told us to prepare for landing and gather our belongings before we landed. I unplugged my iPod, wrapping the earphones around the box frame of my iPod, sticking it in my pocket, waiting until we were told that we could stand up. I bit my lip, grabbing my bags that were tucked securely above, and slung the two bags over my shoulder, pulling out my phone and turning it on, figuring I should let Elena know that I had finally arrived, and that she should come pick me up. I watched as everyone started gathering their things as well, beginning to walk toward the aisle, chewing softly on my lower lip, and awkwardly tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. It was early morning in Virgnia, that much I knew, or close to the afternoon - the time was definitely unclear to me, and I prayed that Elena didn't mind coming to get me; but there's only one way to find out, I guess.

I went to my messages as soon as my phone came to life. Five new messages were rolling in, and a voice mail.

**Elena: **_Are you kidding me Bella...?_**  
Elena:** _I talked to Jenna. She said it was okay._  
**Elena:** _Text me when you're in VA. -sighs;_  
**Jacob: **_I miss you, Bells. Call me as soon as you can!_

I blinked a few times when I saw the last message popping up on my screen, astonished. I didn't expect to get a message so. . . quickly.

**Edward: **_I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I love you._

After letting out a shaky breath, I closed my eyes and pressed the delete button on my phone to get rid of Edward's message. It would send me straight back to Forks, and that's the last thing I wanted to do, especially since I've gotten so far. The flight attendants came around, making sure everything was good, before heading back to the front and alerting us that we've landed at the airport, free to leave; I hiked my bag higher on my shoulder, going toward the exit, composing a quick message as I walked off the steps and entered the glossy, polished lobby of Charlottesville Airport.

**Bella:**_ I'm in VA. Come get me._

I closed out of my messages, going into my contacts and clicking on Jacob's name, pressing the talk button, a millisecond before bringing it to my ear, he would be so pleased to hear from me. I could imagine that he's freaking out, and this also reminded me that I had to listen to my voice mail as soon as I got off the phone with my werewolf best friend. I glanced around while I listened to the ringing, noticing how crowded this place had become in a matter of seconds from me stepping into the lobby, was this totally normal in the state of Virginia? And that's when I noticed the Christmas decorations. _Right_, I mentally smacked myself. _It's Christmas Eve, isn't it?_ I groaned quietly just as I heard that someone picked up the phone, presumably Jacob, of course.

"Hello?" a husky voice moaned into the phone.

"Jake!" I said softly in a giggle as I started aimlessly walking around the small portion I was in, twirling a strand of hair around my middle finger, looking around to see if Elena would magically appear even though I'd sent that text message not too long ago.

"Bella, hey. I'm so glad you called; it's the perfect way to be woken up at nine in the morning." I could hear Jacob smiling. It warmed my heart.

"I'm sorry that I woke you." I apologized meekly.

"It's cool, Bella." Jacob yawned. "So I guess you're-"

"How's Charlie?" I interrupted quickly.

He cleared his throat, "He called you, but he said it went straight to-"

"Oh. I didn't, uh, I didn't listen to it yet." I sighed softly into the receiver.

There was an awkward silence between me and Jacob, I swallowed hard as I continued looking around for Elena, not even realizing that I started ghosting my way through the crowd toward the exit. Neither of us knew what else to say. Muffling sounds came from the other line, and I figured Jacob was either looking for something, doing something, or just making himeslf seem like he's doing something, it was typical Jacob Black. Or the old him, anyway, before he had turned into a werewolf for the first time. I groaned when the faint sound of someone howling was heard on the other line, but then I smiled to myself.

"I gotta go." Jacob chuckled.

"I hear the Boys." I said knowingly, understandingly that he had to hang up.

"Love ya, Bells. Hear from you tonight?" He requested in a small voice, as if someone was lurking nearby. Probably Billy, I thought to myself and sighed again.

"Yeah." I promised, "Love you." And then we both hung up at the same time.

It felt like an entire day had passed by the time I got a text message back from Elena, telling me that they had arrived at the airport. Groaning, I only brought my phone to my ear as I decided to listen to the voice mail that was left by Charlie - I could imagine how angry he must be at me, so I mentally braced myself as I typed in the four digit password that allowed me to get into my voice messages, swallowing hard, bringing it to my ear again, and biting down hard on my lower lip.

"_Bella_," The voice mail started out, I cringed slightly at the sound of Charlie's gruff voice. "_I .. I can't believe you left me, again. What did I do wrong, Bella? Why don't you want to live here... I understand that you're eighteen, and you are considered legal to do what you want, but, come on. I- .. You're not with Edward, are you? I swear to God, Bella, if I find out that you left town with Edward-_" and then he cut himself off. "_Nevermind, I just reread your note. I'm sorry, Bells. Keep in touch, and I want you to tell your mother what you've planned. Alright? Love you, Bells._"

I was entirely shocked at my father's message that he'd left on my phone. I expected him to blow up on me, but not once did he sound harsh toward me. He was completely calm, and Charlie . . . well, Charlie was rarely angry, but still, I didn't think he'd be so cool about this, about me deciding to leave town and go somewhere for a while. I remembered my note, I didn't tell him that I was going to Virginia to live with Jenna Sommers, my mother's god daughter. I considered her an aunt, as I considered Elena and her little brother, Jeremy, to be my cousins. I deleted the message from my phone, going back inside to wait for Elena as I realized just how cold it had grown in the matter of seconds from me being in the airport, then being outside. I looked down at my phone as it vibrated in my hands.

**Elena:**_ Outside. Me & my boyfriend will be in shortly__._

I sighed and nodded to myself, turning around to see my cousin sauntering toward, hand-in-hand who looked so much like Edward. It tugged rapidly at my heart, and I swallowed hard, taking in the swept back light hair, strong jawline, tall stature, and muscular build: I had the sudden urge to cry, but I held back, smiling weakly as Elena glided through the doors, a brilliant smile on her tanned face.

"Hi Bella." She chirped, abruptly reminding me of the time I first met Alice.

"Hey Elena." I swallowed hard, broadening my smile as I pulled my 'cousin' into a hug, my arms wrapped around her as tightly as I possibly could. She smiled and pulled away, glancing over at the man who was strangely similar to my own ex-boyfriend, clearing her throat, then she glanced back at me.

"Er, hey." the male said. I sighed with relief, he wasn't as dazzling or enchanting as Edward had been when we first met. His voice was husky, and irresistable. Oh, my. It reminded me of Jacob, the older, more mature one I've come to know and love. "I'm - I'm, uh.. I'm Stefan."

"It's.. it's nice to meet you, Stefan." I watched as his hands overlapped, and his thumb brushed along the bulky silver and blue ring on his middle finger of his left hand. "That's a nice ring." I smiled, trying to make small conversation.

"It's a family heirloom." He smiled politely back at me, dropping his hand so he could interlace his fingers with Elena's once more.

"Stefan, why don't you take Bella's bags?" Elena encouraged sweetly, looking up at her boyfriend.

Stefan looked at me, almost as if silently asking if this was alright. I gave a slight nod, taking my bags from my shoulders and handing them to Stefan, he brought them both over his broad shoulder and took a deep breath, letting it out in a deep exhale, quickly biting his lip before releasing the soft skin, rubbing his other shoulder as he awkwardly stood there, but politely waiting.

"We don't wanna keep Da-"

"Let's go." Elena interrupted, gesturing for me to follow. I nodded; Elena and Stefan both walked out the airport with me following close behind.

The short walk out of the airport was silent, as was approaching an old light blue Camaro. I recognized it, it was in one of the old car magazines that Jacob had stashed under his bed, I almost snorted a laugh, watching as Stefan went to the driver's side, grabbing the keys from whoever was in the front seat, and unlocking the trunk, placing both my bags in the trunk, slamming it, then rounding to the passenger door. Elena and I got in silently, looking at each other.

My eyes grew wide when I saw who the driver was. He had pale skin, but he wasn't as pale as the Cullen family. A face like a Roman God, so attractive and flawless, with eyes that glistened like ice, a light shade of blue. His dark brown hair was tousled, naturally straight, and fell to just below his earlobes. I saw a grin appear on his face, and he started up the engine. "who's your friend?" I almost gasped when I heard the seductively charming notes in his voice, my heart skipped a beat inside of my chest, and I silently cursed myself for finding myself so attractive to this man that I knew nothing about, except for the fact that he knew Stefan and Elena.

I saw that Elena rolled her eyes, listening to the soft sigh surpassing her lips. "This is my cousin, Isa-"

"I'm Bella Swan." I kindly interrupted my cousin, casting a small smile in her direction.

"Damon." I watched as his lips slanted into a lopsided smile, it was similar to Edward's crooked smile; could they hear the loud thumping of my heart inside of my chest? He reversed the car, then drove out of the parking lot of the airort.

"It's nice to meet you." I offered a small, slight smile of my own, somewhat showing my teeth. I heard a sigh come from Elena and Stefan, but I was entirely focused on Damon - who looked like he was ready to laugh at something, but held back.

I peered over the seat slightly, as he replied, "we'll see." and saw that he had the same bulky ring on his middle finger that Stefan was wearing. I swallowed hard, sitting back and staring out the window of the Camaro; I couldn't help but wonder what Damon had meant by that, and it made goosebumps raise as I started to find myself already curious about Damon, the same way when I'd first met Edward, before I knew what he truly was, before discovering that he, and the rest of his family, was a vampire. I pulled out my phone, trying to sift through my clouded thoughts in the process, stopping on Jacob's name to send him a text message, even though I'd have to wait until he was done patrolling around La Push with Quil and Embry.

**Bella: **_I miss you_

I stuck my phone back into my pocket, looking over at Elena, she was entirely focused on staring out the window on the opposite side of the car, the same going for Stefan while Damon drove us the twenty-thirty minutes back to Mystic Falls.


	4. At The Gilbert House

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Four.**

December 24, 2012

I watched as Stefan opened the passenger door, getting out almost too quickly, too inhumane, and rounding to the trunk, popping it open with the key after getting them from Damon. Biting my lip, I eyed Damon discreetly as I climbed out of the car with Elena, determined to help Stefan getting out my few bags that had been tossed into the trunk after I arrived at the car from the airport. Stefan shook his head politely, slinging the bags onto his broad shoulders, using his one hand that wasn't holding the final bag, and running his fingers through his gelled, spiked dark brown hair - although in my opinion, it rivaled Edward's untidy unusual shade of bronze; the thought of my ex tugged at my heart fiercely. I glanced through the back window, seeing that Damon remain seated behind the wheel, his right hand visible: fingers clenched around the steering wheel, his knuckles broad, whiter than bone. Appearing as though something was seriously pissing him off. It was as I turned my head a little to find that Stefan had his lips pressing against Elena's; it looked so passionate, so loving, yet. . . there appeared to be something wrong. I realized that Damon most likely had a thing for Elena. I mean, who wouldn't? She's gorgeous with her petite, European-like accents in the face, body, and even mind.

I cleared my throat, and Elena immediately backed away from Stefan, her cheeks flamed to a bright red against her evenly tanned skin.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Stefan said, his voice a barely audible whisper, meant only for Elena to hear. I took this as my opportunity for just glancing into the Camaro again, biting my lower lip gently when I see that Damon's structure hadn't changed, his ice blue eyes were locked on the rear view mirror; and I couldn't help wondering why Damon was torturing himself by witnessing such a gruesome couple - Damn, is that how Jacob felt around me and Edward?

"Why can't I see you tonight?" Elena tilted her head slightly.

"Me and Damon are..." Without finishing his sentence, having his alluring voice trailing, Elena nodded with understanding.

"Thank you, Stefan." I swallowed hard, gesturing to take my bags from him, but he kindly shook his head once more, hiking them more up his shoulder. Elena smiled, draping one arm around my bony shoulders, guiding me toward the house as we began walking. Elena fished around in the pocket of her motorcycle jacket - how could she wear that in December? But then again, it was exceptionally warm here as it was in Washington. Not even a thin layer of snow covered the ground, no ice dangerously placed on the steps or porch for the uncoordinated to slip on; I loved it.

Elena opened the door, sliding off her jacket and draping it along the banister as she went further into the house, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Jeremy?" she called into the vacant house, but no response was given.

"Where will I be staying?" I asked as I tried retrieving my bags from Stefan once more, but he only jerked back slightly, still rather polite. I gave up, as I casually peered over my shoulder to look through the nearest window, seeing that Damon hadn't moved from his place in the car - it only furthered my theory that Damon was attracted to Elena, and was pissed that Stefan was with her.

"For now, I guess you can stay in-"

"She's not staying in Mom and Dad's room." A deep, boyish voice said a little too harshly for my pleasure. Elena and I turned in sync, to see that the younger Gilbert was coming down the stairs from the second floor, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his black zipped hoodie, his straight dark brown hair falling into his even darker brown eyes.

"I know, Jer." Elena murmured. "I was going to say that she can stay in Jenna's room for the time being."

Jeremy sighed softly and nodded at his older sister, stepping down onto the main floor, crossing the foyer to approach me. Stefan's bottom lip twitched, turning his body slightly as he started walking - his own way of saying _I'll leave you be, by bringing these up to Jenna's room _without even actually talking. Jeremy took his hands from his pockets, sliding the hood from his head, giving me a kind smile - but I could see in his eyes that he wasn't too happy with my arrival, probably because it was so sudden.

"It's good to see you, Jeremy." I mumbled, awkwardly bringing my arms around him. I wasn't exactly close with Jeremy, or Elena - but I found myself more comfortable around Elena. Probably because we were both girls, and I sympathized her, about the death of her parents. . . not that I didn't sympathize Jeremy, but the older you are, the harder you take it. Jeremy was only fourteen, Elena being the same age as me, if not a year younger.

"Hi Bella." Jeremy said softly in my ear as he returned the embrace, I could tell that he found it just as awkward as I did. As long as the feeling was mutual, and there was an understanding, but hopefully things got better with my stay in Mystic Falls. We parted in unison, looking toward the staircase briefly as we heard the sound of a door closing upstairs.

Stefan came down within moments, what seemed like seconds, empty handed. He popped the collar of the shirt he wore beneath the thin flannel jacket, wrinkling his nose and coughing quietly, coming up behind Elena and shaking his arms around her waist, giving a small kiss to her cheek. Awkwardly, I looked away, feeling the un-comfortableness rising inside of me, heating my palms. It made me think of all the times I'd seen my Forks friends in school - Mike, Jessica, Angela, and Eric - roaming the halls, giving quick kisses before departing to class. And then there was seeing Rosalie and Emmett, and Alice and Jasper, every time I visited the Cullen house, only that time I had Edward at my side, as I did in school, except for the sunny days.

"Why don't you and Stefan spend the day together? I'm just gonna.. take a nap." I said to Elena, feeling bad that I took time away from their quality time together - I was a burden, already. I glanced at Stefan, seeing there was a look of plea in his soulful forest green eyes, a slight smile tugging on his full lips. As I brought my attention back to Elena, I could already see that she was sliding on her jacket, gratefully accepting my offer. I also noticed that Jeremy was nowhere to be found; he was quick to get away - too bad we weren't blood related, though we are common.

"I'll see you later." Elena said with an appreciative smile, Stefan gave a slight wave in my direction, pressing his lips to Elena's temple while snaking an arm around his girlfriend's waist. I peered through the window casually, I noticed that the Camaro was gone - funny, I didn't even hear the engine start up again and hear the thunderous roaring as it took off down the clear roads.

I headed upstairs, peaking into each room as I try finding Jenna's bedroom - it was kind of Elena to say that I could sleep in here until further acknowledgement as it was under pretenses and short notice that I'd be arriving in Mystic Falls and living with the Gilbert family. I needed to register for school . . . even though I was keen on keeping up with my academics, I shrugged it off, for now, finally stumbling upon Jenna's room - I knew it was hers from the three bags that Stefan had brought up, stepping out of my shoes and flopping down onto my side, landing on the soft mattress, curling up against the silky spider web-like beige comforter. My eyes became heavy, as I grew abruptly tired, feeling overwhelmed, as all my emotions weighed me down - I felt a single tear slip down my cheek, immediately wiping it away, forcing my eyes closed so I could fall into my slumber.

-_xx_-

I could feel someone's gaze boring into my back, penetrating into the depths of my soul. It caused my eyelids to flutter open, my pupils focusing on a stream of blinding light that came in through the slightly opened window - funny, I don't remember opening it. I sat up slowly, rubbing my small fist at my eyes childishly and letting out a small yawn. How long had I been asleep? The time was unclear to me, not that I necessarily cared at the particular moment. I dropped my hand into my lap, sitting up a little straighter, my eyes raked around the room I was in - this was not Jenna's room, but one that was all white with a massive bed, millions of collected CD's and journals, wide windows, and a desk piled high with novels. I swallowed hard, I knew this room all too well, and I couldn't help but wonder how I'd gotten here.

Slowly, I got up from the bed, straightening out my clothes that I hadn't fallen asleep in, padding bare foot out into the vacant, spacious glossy hallway. No sound was heard, but then again, only my gentle breathing was the only sound that ever came apart of this particular house. I bit my lip, heading down to where I eventually heard noises - I pressed my palm lightly against the white wooden door, creaking it open only a sliver, peering my head inside. My eyes widened, bulging out of my skull, at the sight before me: expensive designer clothes strewn, littering the white carpet in a trail toward the queen size bed, a black lace bra dangling off the post at the end of the bed, along with a familiar pair of silk boxers. I swallowed hard, idiotically allowing my eyes to flicker to the bed, where the sound of a male grunting was heard. The bed jerked, in rhythm with the way their bodies fell together, colliding as one - in such a way I could never give, as my time being human.

"Edward," I nearly gasped. A tear fell from my right eye. Through the windows, darkness had fallen rather quickly, fog rolling in. A typical night, here in Forks - but this was no ordinary night. Abruptly, the top layer jerked upward, a slick wet sound was heard, and I shuddered in disgust. Their bodies turned, giving me the sight of not only Edward in bed, but laying sprawled under the blankets was a Goddess, figuratively speaking, with matted yet luscious blonde hair, a heart-shaped face, and lustful golden eyes. The sheets had been pulled up to cover her bare breasts; if she were human, I could imagine how fast her heart would've been racing inside of her chest.

"Bella." My supposed boyfriend's velvet tone swept passed his lips breathlessly. I watched as he scrambled from the bed, grabbing the boxers from the post and sliding them up his lean legs, I tried not to stare at his Adonis structure, far too angry and hurt, I felt paralyzed from the waist down, every nerve ending inside of me was on fire - and not in a good way. I wanted to cry, scream, and punch everything until my knuckles started bleeding or bruising - whichever came first.

But at the moment he started walking toward me, everything inside of me became alive, my feet no longer nailed to the floor, the ice turning into liquid as it coursed through my veins. I swiftly turned on my heel, making a run for it, darting out the Cullen's massive house, not bothering to look back - but I did hear him calling for me; the tears were hot as they ran down my face, I stumbled and tripped, but it didn't stop me from running all the way from the steps, passed my ancient trunk, down the straight - heading home.

Unexpected to anyone but myself, I fell forward, thrusting my hands out to catch me as I landed on the pavement, groaning quietly to myself, getting onto my hands and knees, lifting one hand to wipe the tears from my face. I could hear Edward calling my name, as if searching for me, but his voice never came closer and closer - he didn't move, from wherever he stood - he was probably too determined to conjure up lies, ways to "make things right" with me before things came to an end. But he was in far too deep. I shut my eyes tight, allowing my body to rack and shake as I sobbed. My heart shattered into thousands of tiny pieces inside of my chest; so much for love, after all we've been through. . .

"Bella." A voice said, rather clear and unexpected. I choked back my cry, swallowing hard. I didn't open my eyes, I didn't look up. I didn't want to see him, ever again, I proclaimed coldly inside my thoughts where I was safe - from him. "Bella," the voice said again, more clearer than before, and that's when I noticed the difference in tones. This one was new, sharp, edgy, and sexy. A warm hand was placed on the back of my neck.

I gasped, my eyes flying open, as I shot upright.

I looked around frantically, taking my bottom lip between my teeth and gnawing softly. My heart revved, pounding harshly inside of my chest, making it almost impossible for me to breathe normally - it was only a dream, I realized as I took in my surroundings of Jenna's bedroom; I struggled lowering my heart rate, taking shallow breaths, wrapping my arms around my sudden shaking body. I could feel the tears rolling down my cheek, but I didn't bother wiping them away - only because I knew it was okay to cry. The man I'd fallen in love with cheated on me with his adoptive sister, and that said sister's husband didn't even know what happened between them; it made me think of what Alice had said to me before I left, the message that Edward had sent me while I was on the plane - it didn't change anything. It was thoughtless of him to have sex with Rosalie, not that I entirely blamed him, she was so seductively appealing, it was no wonder that Emmett was married to her. But, none of it made sense, either.

But now, it wasn't something to dwell on. It was the past.

I blinked a few times, rubbing my eyes childishly, taking a deep breath to calm myself finally.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit. . . _frantic_." someone unexpectedly asked me.

I nearly screamed, as I whipped my body in different directions to find the source of this voice.

Eventually, my eyes fell on the man leaning against the wall close to the window - I saw that it was twilight outside, I'd fallen asleep for quite some time, didn't I? -, lean and muscular, sexy and mysterious. I tried not to stare, but then it hit me: appalled, and rather confused on how he'd gotten in here. Was I that heavy of a sleeper? I tried to form words, as I stared longingly at him, but I was utterly speechless, at a loss for words. So I only nodded, since it was the only thing I was capable of doing.

"Did I scare you?" Damon Salvatore smirked, in such a way that sent my heart rate back to an increasingly dangerous rhythm and speed.

It only brought tears to my eyes, giving me another reminder of Edward - I used to love the way he snuck into my bedroom every night. Now, I hated just the very thought, even if it was Damon who'd appeared in my (more or less, Jenna's) room, but didn't say anything, watching as his cocky, snark expression softened, slowly walking toward me with his hands formally behind his back - I thought only Jasper was capable of such a manner.


	5. Explanation To Damon

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Five.**

****December 24, 2012

I looked around frantically, taking my bottom lip between my teeth and gnawing softly. My heart revved, pounding harshly inside of my chest, making it almost impossible for me to breathe normally - it was only a dream, I realized as I took in my surroundings of Jenna's bedroom; I struggled lowering my heart rate, taking shallow breaths, wrapping my arms around my sudden shaking body. I could feel the tears rolling down my cheek, but I didn't bother wiping them away - only because I knew it was okay to cry. The man I'd fallen in love with cheated on me with his adoptive sister, and that said sister's husband didn't even know what happened between them; it made me think of what Alice had said to me before I left, the message that Edward had sent me while I was on the plane - it didn't change anything. It was thoughtless of him to have sex with Rosalie, not that I entirely blamed him, she was so seductively appealing, it was no wonder that Emmett was married to her. But, none of it made sense, either.

But now, it wasn't something to dwell on. It was the past.

I blinked a few times, rubbing my eyes childishly, taking a deep breath to calm myself finally.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit. . . _frantic_." someone unexpectedly asked me.

I nearly screamed, as I whipped my body in different directions to find the source of this voice.

Eventually, my eyes fell on the man leaning against the wall close to the window - I saw that it was twilight outside, I'd fallen asleep for quite some time, didn't I? -, lean and muscular, sexy and mysterious. I tried not to stare, but then it hit me: appalled, and rather confused on how he'd gotten in here. Was I that heavy of a sleeper? I tried to form words, as I stared longingly at him, but I was utterly speechless, at a loss for words. So I only nodded, since it was the only thing I was capable of doing.

"Did I scare you?" Damon Salvatore smirked, in such a way that sent my heart rate back to an increasingly dangerous rhythm and speed.

It only brought tears to my eyes, giving me another reminder of Edward - I used to love the way he snuck into my bedroom every night. Now, I hated just the very thought, even if it was Damon who'd appeared in my (more or less, Jenna's) room, but didn't say anything, watching as his cocky, snark expression softened, slowly walking toward me with his hands formally behind his back - I thought only Jasper was capable of such a manner. Without any words, Damon lowered himself onto the bed, pushing himself along the mattress until his back was resting against the wooden headboard. My eyes never left his face, watching as he brought his arms up, scratching at his hair lightly before putting both hands behind his head, crossing his ankles casually. His pale blue eyes fell on me, and I realized that he was probably waiting for me to say something - but I didn't really feel like talking. Did Damon seriously expect me to open up to him, tell him why I'd left Forks and showed up in Virginia the day before Christmas?

"Why are your eyes so glassy?" Damon asked meekly.

I cleared my throat, wiping my finger along my eye, "I got something in my eye."

He raised both eyebrows, dropping my hand from my face and tilting my head upward with the tip of his index finger, his blue eyes raking over my facial expression, the look in my eyes, the way my pale pink lips curved; could he hear the shallowness of my supposedly soft breathing? Did he know that I felt a tingly shock course through my veins the moment he touched my face? If so, he was good at hiding it, because the cautioned expression in his eyes told me there wasn't a single drop or ounce in his body that this truly mattered to him. God, what I wouldn't give to have Jacob here with me right now. . . someone I could actually talk to, but I left him behind in Forks, and probably wouldn't be able to call him until later.

"You're a bad liar, you know that?" I saw his lips curve up slightly as he smiled.

"You're not the first to tell me that." I attempted in a small, soft laugh as I lowered my eyes.

He took a minute to look me over again. A tiny sigh surpassed his lips as he met my gaze, "You're such an easy person to read."

This shocked me; Edward had told me that he had a hard time figuring me out, that I wasn't the most easy person to read, but then again that had to do with the fact he wasn't able to read my mind like he could read everyone else. I kept my eyes on Damon, as he stared back at me, an eerie but somehow comfortable silence fell upon us. Heat radiated from my palms with every second passing, and even though I shouldn't be thinking this way, I wanted nothing more than to be kissed by Damon Salvatore - I pushed those thoughts away quickly, swallowing hard, and softly biting down on my lower lip, forcing myself to tear away my gaze from the man before me.

"Tell me what's wrong, I'm a good listener." Damon muttered as he dropped his hand from my chin and settled back against the headboard.

"It's not an interesting story." I smiled weakly, surprised by the comfortability that I felt with Damon, so abruptly.

"You'd be surprised by what I find interesting." He flashed a small grin.

"Uh, okay." I said.

I had expected to be sharing this story with Elena before anyone, but I'd appraised her with the time to spend with Stefan, since I wanted to be left alone. Guess Damon is my second option, next to best choice, if you'd want to put it that way. I bit my lip again, a strong habit I've picked up since leaving Arizona to Forks just merely a year ago, a small sigh touching my lips as I thought of how to first begin telling him what happened between me and Edward. Damon rubbed at his nose lightly before putting both hands behind his head again, inhaling slightly, I watched as that breath never left until at least fifty five seconds later.

"My boyfriend and I have been dating for a year, not too long after I moved to Fork, where I'd been born. Just last night, or two nights ago, I'm not even sure right now - but anyway, I went over to his house because his sister Alice invited me over for a sleepover, except Alice wasn't home; I figured I'd go see Edward, my boyfriend and-"

"His name's Edward?" Damon shook slightly as he suppressed laughter. "What a pansy name."

I rolled my eyes and fought a smile, fighting the urge to nod in agreement - only because I was still irritated with Edward. "_Anyway_, I went upstairs but couldn't find him in his room, which is where I usually found him whenever I decided to stop by after spending time with my friend Jacob. I heard things going on, in his adoptive sister Rosalie's bedroom, so I went there, and when I opened the door I saw . . ." I awkwardly cleared my throat and lowered my gaze, playing with the hem of my shirt, biting my lip again.

"So, who was fucking?" I was surprised at how quickly Damon caught on to what I was trying to say.

I took a deep breath and said, "Edward and Rosalie."

It took a lot to not laugh at the expression on his face, the way his jaw dropped and eyes nearly bulged from his skull. "Are you fucking kidding? That's fucking gross, Bella! And you dated him? You've gotta be fuckin' mental, girl!" Never had I met someone who used such vulgar language as frequently as Damon Salvatore, especially in such heightened sentences.

"They aren't actually related, Damon." I confirmed. "Wanna know something?"

"Sure," His bottom lip twitched.

"She's married." I covered my mouth as I spoke, as if letting him in on a secret - it was no surprise that Emmett was with Rosalie, but not everyone in the common day world knew that they were married, and have been married for quite some time. But who knows how long that will last, if Emmett found out about Rosalie and Edward's little rendezvous. It startled me when Damon started laughing, raking his fingers through his hair and pushing back the strands, tilting his head back to leaning against the headboard as he laughed. I couldn't help but smile.

"And that drove you to Mystic Falls?" He questioned, his tone suddenly serious.

"I couldn't stay in Forks knowing what Edward did. It was haunting." I shuddered lightly.

"Where's your parents?" He raised an eyebrow.

"My Dad, he's in Forks. My Mom's in Jacksonville." I shrugged, "I can't stand with the heat in Florida, especially in December."

Slowly, Damon was nodding at me as he intently listened to what I was saying. "What's your relation to Elena? You're not cousins.. You have no resemblance of any kind."

"My mother is Jenna's God mother, I consider her an aunt, thus Elena and Jeremy are my cousins." I smiled, explaining briefly; I watched as Damon nodded, his face contorting into one with an expression I could not detail or explain, but it somehow just suited him intently. And then his expression changed abruptly into one of caution, his blue eyes flickering around the room, sitting up more on the bed as if ready to spring out, his body arching slightly into a crouch. Another notion that reminded me, so painfully, of Edward.

"Was your father a good man?" His voice hardened, it was most likely an attempt in taking his mind off whatever clouded his thoughts.

"He was Chief of Police in Forks, I barely saw him... But he is a good man, I love Charlie." I was so accustomed to calling my father '_Charlie_' behind his back, just like he most likely called me '_Isabella_' to all his friends around town, at La Push, and at the station, so I guess it evened everything out. I saw the look on Damon's face, the expression in his eyes, as I said my father's name.

"Is Charlie another one of your suitors?" Damon teased.

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head at him, tucking my hair awkwardly, nervously behind my ear. "_No_, Charlie is my _Dad_. I don't call him 'Dad' unless I'm actually speaking to him - when I'm talking _about_ him, he usually comes out as Charlie, it's a force of habit. I only referred to him by his first name when I lived in Arizona with my mother."

"I see." Damon nodded, again, keeping his eyes on me but his pupils went around with the same caution as before. His eyes looked alert, I recognized it instantly - Edward had the look in his eyes when we'd been in Volterra, talking with the monstrous Volturi - a coven of vampires that 'ruled' over the vampire race throughout the world; everyone was scared of them, and from what I learned, no one bothered with Aro, Marcus, and Caius unless they were asking for a penalty of death.

"Is everything okay, Damon?" I blurted; it was time for me to ask the questions.

Damon gave me his full attention, a smirk forming on his full pale lips. "Completely."

"You're just as bad of a liar, as I am." I teased, lying through my teeth - I couldn't tell if he actually was lying to me, but it was worth a shot. Holding my breath, I watched Damon intently, carefully, waiting for some kind of reaction as he inhaled sharply, slowly releasing the breath that he'd held in, rubbing his jaw slightly before allowing his hand to drop into his lap. His Adam's apple bobbed, as he swallowed, blinking a few times as he leaned his head against the headboard again, his lip twitching.

And just as I thought he'd unfold before my eyes, probably something he's never done before in his entire life, his eyes hardened like ice. The muscles in his jaw became taut, as he slowly clenched his teeth, my gaze lowered to see that he had balled his hand into a fist, his knuckles turning whiter than bone.

"Damon?" I muttered. He relaxed, almost as if he didn't want to scare me.

Like he could; I've seen worse once I'd become involved with the world of vampires last year.

Softly, there was a rapping on the closed door, I looked at the door but peaked at Damon from the corner of my eye to see how he'd react. I was used to Edward fleeing out the window or hiding in the shadows whenever Charlie walked in; was it Jenna? The door creaked open slowly, a curtain of dark silky chocolate hair swayed in as there was movement outside the door, until the door fully opened, revealing that it was only Elena standing in the doorway - as if I had anything to worry about. Nothing was going on, and Jenna was more relaxed than Charlie, probably, about there being a boy in my room since she most likely knew Damon, as he was Stefan's sibling.

"Hi Damon." Elena said, I could hear the venom in her voice, but it was so sultry that it suited my cousin. Did she hate Damon, and what for?

"Hey Elena," Damon sounded as if he was forcing a smile but I didn't look in his direction, instead I kept my eyes on Elena.

"Can we talk?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, an innocent smile perching on her pale lips.

"Sure..." Damon got up without jostling the mattress, rounding the bed and was standing in front of Elena, his eyes narrowing slightly with suspicion. Instantly, Damon and Elena disappeared from the bedroom, closing the door behind them. I bit my lip, curiously getting out of bed and slowly I crept toward the door, playing nervously with the hem of my shirt - was she going to talk to him about me? I suddenly couldn't stay here? Did she want him to stay away from me, and that's why she needed to talk to him alone, with no witness?

"Did you miss me?" I could hear the smirk that reveled in her voice, I raised an eyebrow. _What?_

"Not at all." It sounded like Damon had shaken his head.

"Who's the girl?" Elena asked.

"None of your concern," he almost growled. "Why are you here?"

"I missed you, Damon. Is that so hard to believe?" Elena's voice sounded so innocent, yet it sounded so different from when I last talked to her. I was confused, and there was no way of explaining it, I didn't want to barge out there - Damon would know that I was eavesdropping. How bad would that look? I wasn't naturally an eavesdropper, that was more of the Cullen's area, thanks to their vampirism.

"Yes, it is. Can you go?" He forced through his teeth. _But Elena lives here_, I thought to myself.

"Why? So you can get to know the random girl that showed up in _my _town?" I heard the smirk in her voice, again.

"Go!" He hollered quietly, as if expecting me to be eavesdropping.

I swallowed hard, backing away from the door as slowly as possible, glancing around to make sure that I wasn't to trip over anything and give away that I indeed had been eavesdropping on his and Elena's conversation. I yelped loudly, falling backward as I stumbled over one of my bags that I never got around to putting away - it would be my own luck that I also tripped over my feet, landing on the wooden floor with a loud _thump_ on my butt, my hand flying up to my mouth has I gasped. Damon pushed the door open, his eyes falling on me with Elena peering over his shoulder. I bit my lip when I saw Damon smirking, and then my gaze hardened toward Elena, but as my eyes fell on her, she was gone - she disappeared from standing behind Damon. I opened my mouth, ready to say something, but Damon had already come to my aid, snaking an arm around me and helping me off the floor, patting my shoulder lightly.

"Where'd Elena go?" I asked, looking up at him as I gently pushed him away, fixing my shirt and casually rubbing my ass from falling.

His nose wrinkled uncomfortably, raking his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. "Stefan was waiting for her outside, she'll be back later..."

I glanced around the room and out the window, inhaling a sharp gasp when I saw Elena standing on the front lawn. I looked at Damon; did he know Elena was standing outside with no sign of Stefan anywhere? He followed my gaze as if picking up on my tension, I wanted him to explain why she was out there - but by the time we were both looking outside, Elena was gone.

"I'll see you around, Bella." Damon smiled politely at me, awkwardly motioning to give me a hug but held back and just left the room, I heard the front door slamming after his departure. I sighed heavily, glancing out the window, and I was surprised to see that Damon had not passed the window - from the way Stefan drove off earlier, they would pass by where Jenna's room was.

Where was Damon? Wasn't he going home?


	6. Merry Christmas, Bella

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Six.**

December 25, 2012

Before long, the night had come and gone.

I hadn't fallen asleep until around four o'clock in the morning, it was hard to concentrate will all these thoughts clouding my mind, and it didn't come to a surprise as I was constantly thinking about Damon, and then the mystery that happened with Elena earlier. No matter how much I tried to get comfortable, I stirred, turned and tossed, a small burp surpassing my lips - I laughed quietly to myself, just because I was so tired. It reminded me of my first night in Forks on how the rain kept me up almost the entire night, but tonight I felt like an eager child, even though I shouldn't. I'd survived the day in Mystic Falls despite the fact I slept through most of it since my arrival. It was officially Christmas Day, I realized, and then my mind finally took a different direction - how was Charlie? I felt bad, he'd bought me presents even though I didn't really want anything from him. Was he going to ship them to the Gilbert house?

By the time the sun had actually risen, peaking through the curtains in Jenna's bedroom, it was around two hours after I'd fallen asleep. A light knocking was heard on the door, then the sound of it creaking open. Someone walked inside, but I remained face-down into the avalanche of pillows that were piled against the headboard, body hunched and curled, hidden by the three blankets that were on the bed, sunk into the mattress. No words spoken, as I opened one eye slowly to peer around the bedroom, clutching the blankets more around my body, a heavy sigh surpassing someone's lips in sync with mine.

"Are you gonna wake up or do I have to make you?" A familiar voice inquired - the younger Gilbert, Jeremy.

"Like you could." I grumbled into one of the pillows, slowly sitting myself up. I glanced to see that Jeremy stood at the edge of the bed, awkwardly running his hand through his hair, with his head tilted toward the ground, with one glance toward me before walking out of Jenna's room. It wasn't hard to tell that Jeremy wasn't too happy that I was here, but it's something we all have to endure for the time being. I sat up entirely, gathering my tousled brown mess of hair and pulling it back into a bun at the nape of my neck, kicking away the blankets and swinging my legs over the side of the bed, groaning softly as I got to my feet.

I adjusted the black T-shirt I'd worn to bed, hiking up the gray sweatpants as I walked out of the room, peering over the banister to see that Jeremy was coming out of the kitchen with a black mug in hand - he was so dark, it matched the black flannel pajama pants, black fleece hoodie, and he was probably wearing a black T-shirt underneath that. I tiptoed down the steps, gripping tightly onto the banister to make sure that I didn't fall flat on my ass at the last second, making a fool of myself in front of Jeremy and possibly Elena if she was downstairs already.

"Morning Bella." Three voices choir as I step into the living room, astonished by the bright pine tree in the corner of the living room by the window, surrounded by many colorful, carefully wrapped presents on the floor. Stefan, Damon, and Elena were seated on the couch. Stefan with his arm around Elena, who had one hand on the small of his back and one leg crossed over the other, while Damon sat on the far side of the living room, casually running a hand through his lengthy dark brown hair, flashing a lopsided smile in my direction.

"Uh, morning." I took my bottom lip between my teeth and gnawed softly, finding the impulse of sitting beside Damon. Elena's eyes flickered to me, cautiously but nothing was said. Stefan's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, leaning and grabbing the first present from the ground that he could reach, glancing at the tag before tossing it in Jeremy's direction. He fumbled as he caught it, mockingly glaring at Stefan as a smile slowly spread across his childish, boy-like teenage face.

"It's from Jenna," Jeremy mumbled as he tore the paper from the box. Both eyebrows lifted as he lifted the lid off the box, and then his bottom lip twitched as he glanced over at Elena. "Is this some kind of _joke_?" He asked a little harshly, softly. I fought the urge to scratch my head, confused. Elena was just as dumbfound as I was, until Jeremy picked up the object from the box, holding up a worn journal, his teeth slightly clenched. "What is this shit, Elena? _Jonathan Gilbert's journal_?"

"Jer, I - I didn't pick the present for you. You said it's from Jenna." She responded quietly, her eyes flickering to Stefan briefly before settling on her little brother once more.

"What_ever_, Elena." He rolled his eyes, dropping the book back into the box and pushing the box to the floor. _Rude_, I thought to myself, and I chuckled softly to myself as I heard that Damon muttered the same thing under his breath with a glare appointed in Jeremy's direction, who shrugged it off and leaned back, crossing his arms childishly over his chest. Damon picked up the present closest to him, checking the tag and tossing it to Elena, I watched as it landed safely in her lap without her realizing until she felt the box thud against her legs.

She smiled, turning the box over. "You guys brought gifts for us?"

"Of course." The Salvatore brothers said simultaneously. Elena pealed the paper off the small rectangular box, and lifted the lid. I watched as her eyes widened in amazement, a soft layering of tears welling up in her humble brown eyes. The smile never leaving, as Elena held up a silver necklace with a diamond heart shaped pendant.

"I love it." she leaned up and kissed Stefan softly, I looked away.

"I'm glad you do." I heard Stefan whisper against her lips.

"This one's for you, Bella." Damon said lowly, I looked over at him with an eyebrow raised. I saw that he was holding a small box in his hand. Gingerly, I took the box from Damon and held it in my lap, glancing around the room before my eyes finally settled on the box. I bit my lip, ripping off the wrapping paper without even seeing who it was from, seeing that it was a small black velvet box - it resembled the one my engagement ring had come in from Edward. I swallowed hard, _was_ this_ some kind of joke? _I pondered as I slowly opened it, finding a silver ring staring back at me. It was no ordinary ring, the oval shaped stone was a deep hue of sapphire, encrusted with a diamond pendant at the bottom, and what looked like a crescent shaped moon along the side against the smooth blue surface.

"What is this?" I asked as I took the piece of jewelry from the box, holding it up just enough for only Damon to see.

"You can finally take off this," Lightly his finger pressed against the engagement ring Edward had given to me; my cheeks burned as they flushed a deep crimson. In all honesty, I forgot that I was still wearing it, and I could have sworn that I took it off as soon as I left Forks. But then I remembered instantly why I kept it on: it was my motivation for leaving Forks after discovering the rendezvous that happened with Rosalie just merely a day or two ago. Of course, I wouldn't get rid of the ring, I'd keep it tucked safely away in my bag - it belonged to Edward's mother, it had sentimental value, and even I wasn't one to toss away something that meant so much to somebody. It was what he had left from his human family, his human life. I promised him that I'd treasure it forever; together or not, I intend on keeping that promise.

"Thank you, Damon." I smiled weakly, watching as Damon carefully slid the century-old ring from my fourth finger and placing it inside the box that the new ring had come in. It was a sweet gesture that I appreciated very much, and I was honestly surprised to be getting something on such short notice; what trouble had he gone through to get this?

"You're welcome." He smiled back at me, tapping my chin lightly with his index finger as he closed the box.

I swatted his hand away, taking the sapphire ring into hand and sliding it onto the index finger of my right hand, clasping my non-ring hand on top of the box. "It's pretty."

"Do share the story of that ring one day to me, will you?" Damon's lips were in a half smile, half smirk. I could only nod.

I looked around, seeing that most of the presents were gone, torn open by Elena and Jeremy. I smiled at my cousins, they looked so happy. Elena seemed even happier with Stefan around, it swelled my heart but tugged harshly, I was like that once - and then it was ripped away from me, so quickly, so callously. I sighed to push those dreaded thoughts away, not wanting to dwell on it as I told myself many times since I'd made the decision to leave Forks, it was all about starting new, starting fresh, and forgetting the past as much as possible.

-_xx_-

After eating a "Holiday Breakfast" prepared by Elena and Damon, awkwardly sitting in silence with Stefan and Jeremy in the living room, I went straight up to my room to change out of my pajamas. Throwing on a pair of dark wash jeans and a royal blue long sleeved v-neck shirt, I ran the bristled brush through my tangled hair and feverishly brushed my teeth in the bathroom that connected to Jenna's room, before slipping on my old pair of black Converse and grabbing my wallet from one of my bags as I headed out the house entirely; Elena had already left with the Salvatore brothers and Jeremy went to go hang out with his friends. I remembered that I didn't have a car, which left me walking around the small town of Mystic Falls. Lucky for me, there was no snow that layered the ground, which I took as a good sign to be outside today. I shoved my hands into the pocket of my thin army-like bomber jacket that fell passed my hips, tilting my head to focus my gaze on the ground, that I made sure I didn't bump into anybody.

I made my way into town square, smiling a little at the array of shops that lined the buildings throughout. It was nothing like Forks, Seattle, or Port Washington and I found it strangely comfortable, I felt more at home here than I did in Arizona or Washington; maybe it was the small town itself - it suited me well, I established thoughtfully to myself. The first thing that caught my eye was Mystic Grill, I heard Damon talking about it to Stefan on the way home from the airport. Curious, I headed in that direction with my head lifted up, shuffling my feet against the sidewalk as coordinated as I could, glancing around to see if someone might be of some help, not that I necessarily needed help, but it would be nice to talk to someone that way I didn't feel so alone in Mystic Falls.

Mystic Grill was small, just like the town itself, with a bar that lined the west wall, an array of scattered table in the dining area, an upper lift where people could play darts or a rounding game of pool with their friends. People bustled around, waitresses took orders and the busboys sweep off the tables once it was cleared of a customer. I blinked a few times, looking around. I didn't realize what was going on until I actually bumped into someone, stumbling back, I inhaled a sharp gasp, prepared to say sorry as I made eye contact with a pair of soft blue eyes.

"I'm so sorry." A male voice insisted, it was deeper than Damon's.

I swallowed, "No, i-it's my fault."

"I wasn't watching where I was going." I realized that we both said together, and then we snorted a laugh. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, biting my lower lip gently as I stepped back to get a better look at who I'd bumped into. I also realized there was a bin on the floor, cluttered with silverware, plates, and cups - he worked here.

"Here," I said as I knelt down, picking up the bin and handing it to him. He smiled appreciatively running a hand through his choppy short dirty blonde hair before taking the bin from me. I opened my mouth to say something else to him, when I was cut off by a loud, booming voice shouting "_Donovan, get your ass back to work_!" appointed in the blonde guy's direction. My lip twitched, watching as '_Donovan_' blushed a faint red, his eyes flickering between me and the bin, a shy smile forming on his face. But nothing was said as he walked away, I thought fondly of Mike Newton, this '_Donovan_' reminded me of him in so many ways already, and I just knew that somewhere in his name was '_Donovan_'.

I awkwardly shuffled toward the bar where I surprisingly saw the familiar silky tresses that belonged to Elena. I didn't see her as someone who would normally come into a restaurant or whatever this place was, and sit at the bar. I cautiously tapped her on the shoulder, watching as Elena slowly turned to face me - there was this callous look in her brown eyes, it caused a shiver to run up my spine and forced me to take a step back.

"What do you want?" That unnecessary cold tone had returned in Elena's voice, from the day before when she walked to see that Damon and I were hanging out on Jenna's bed.

"I was wondering why you were here, Elena. I thought you were out with Stefan..." My voice trailed off; was she lying about that?

"Oh." A layer of ice molded itself across my cousin's eyes. I swallowed hard. An awkward silence lifted, and I forced myself to look down at my sneakers, peaking a glance at Elena - she was in an entirely different outfit than what she'd been wearing when she supposedly left the house with Stefan this morning.

"Where's St-"

"I don't see why you're still standing here." Elena nearly growled through her teeth, "I don't even know you."

I fought my jaw from dropping in shock. Was she serious? I freakin' lived with her, and she didn't know who I was? Could it be that Elena was embarrassed of living with some random girl that popped up from the western coast of a small town in Washington that couldn't compare to the brightly historical town of Mystic Falls? Was it because I wasn't a native like she was? It brought tears to my eyes - it was just plain hurtful. I may not be her biological cousin, but I sure have always treated her like family. I didn't deserve this. Angrily, I just mocked a glare in Elena's direction, which only caused her to chuckle softly to herself, and I turned away - stalking off toward the dining area.

It shocked me even more when my gaze landed on Damon, who looked awestruck and dumbfounded, the look of alert stricken in his eyes as he let himself look directly at me after looking longingly at Elena over my shoulder. I noticed that he beckoned for me to come toward him, which I slowly did, almost tripping over my own feet before catching myself, tripping toward Damon awkwardly, his hands looked like they were ready to catch me if I _were_ to fall. Was I predictably clumsy? More than likely.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked.

"I - I don't know really. I just came in here." I shrugged, and he nodded slowly, his eyes trailing toward where Elena was sitting - but she disappeared, just like she had done the day before outside the house. Damon ruffled his hair casually, a small sigh touching his lips as his blue eyes flickered around Mystic Grill, before settling on me again.

"You look like you could use a companion." Damon grinned. I laughed lightly at how spot-on Damon was. "Let me escort you to my favorite place in town other than the very own Mystic Grill," He held his hand out toward me, the grin flashing to a cocky smirk as both eyebrows lifted.

"Where's that?" I questioned as I linked my arm through his when I saw that he'd been gesturing for me to do so.

"The Salvatore Boarding House." He chuckled, as I slowly nodded. _Was I seeing where Damon and Stefan lived?_

The answer,_ yes._


	7. She Met The Other Elena?

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Seven.**

December 25, 2012

It was a new kind of experience just from sitting in the front seat of Damon's Camaro, it felt like I could see the world differently rather than when I was in the driver's seat of my truck, or the passenger seats of Edward and Jacob's cars. Edward drove too fast for me to enjoy the scenery, and whenever riding in the car with Jacob, we would always be talking, there was no time to appreciate the life outside of the car. While driving to Edward's along the twining, tree-lined roads that spread from Forks to the boarder on the outskirts of town, I would be staring out the window or talking to him, but the way he drove was as if there was a race against time. And when I was driving my truck, I could only focus on the road, there was no time to look out the windows unless I was coming to a cross section to see if there was another car coming. What fun was that? But looking out the passenger window as Damon coasted along the winding roads, occasionally breaking the speed limit as a joke after I told him how fast Edward and Alice used to drive, curving and mockingly swerving to get a laugh out of me - which worked, to my surprise. I was always timid when in the car, but I found myself loosened and comforted by being in the car with the Salvatore who seemed much older than me, and not just by his appearance.

"What is this, exactly?" I asked as we crossed over the only bridge in town that connected the two portions of Mystic Falls, looking ahead to see that only thick patches of woods awaited our arrival. I heard Damon snort a slight chuckle as he tapped his hand against the steering wheel, reaching and turning on the radio, I leaned at the same time, wanting to turn up the heater. Our fingertips brushed, and I smiled when I felt the small jolt of electricity that I had gotten when he'd touched me in Jenna's bedroom.

"Wickery Bridge." He said gently, slowing down a bit as we drove closer to getting off the bridge.

"This is where-"

"Yeah." Damon interrupted quickly, knowing fully well where I was going to bring the conversation. His eyes focused on the road, and the lightened mood evaporated - silently, I cursed myself for ruining the fun mood between me and Damon; I felt bad as well. The remainder of the ride, going along the winding roads and taking a short cut through a cleared path of briers to get to the Boarding House quicker, was silent. My eyes widened at the sight as we cut through the final patch of brier, turning onto the pale gravel driveway that cut into many directions, a small circular opening of grass in the center shows me an array of coordinated stones. The Boarding House was so grand, so ancient even though it was only built as early as the 1900's. The different patterns that the bricks made, three shades of tan or red, wooden plates going along certain places that were beneath the high roof. I could see at least three different chimney's placed along the house, I was envious. I'd always wanted a fire place; there was one at the Cullen's house but I never really took the time to appreciate much of their humble, non-vampiric all-white home except the bedroom, kitchen, and the room that once contained Edward's precious piano before it was moved down into the foyer, and then destroyed on my birthday but fixed after their departure from my seventeenth birthday.

"_What _is this, again?" I gaped, Damon slowed the car down as we pulled in front of the house, then turning off to the side before parking.

"Salvatore Boarding House, built in 1914." He said fondly. "Where my brother and I currently reside."

"Wow." I mouthed to myself, only to find that Damon chuckled with amusement. I rolled my eyes, getting out of the Camaro simultaneously with Damon and closing the doors a little too loudly.

It was silent as we walked toward the front of the house, up the steps, and gliding through the large wooden door. My eyes roamed, I was taken aback by the sight - it looked fabulous, so new and ancient at the same time, like things had been collected for _centuries_ at a time. The foyer was a little narrow, having a chandelier hanging above, and off to the left was the Grand living room Damon pointed out, which had a large fireplace, several dark colored couches, a whole wall lined with shelves filled with books, and a little antique end table behind the couch. A silver tray displayed different types of alcohol, which I actually wasn't too surprised to find: Damon seemed like a drinker, I recollected as I'd (or he'd) found me in the Mystic Grill. But that was only my assumption.

"Would you like a drink?" Damon asked with a devious smile.

"No thanks, Damon." I politely declined as I walked further into the living room, careful of the step Damon warned me about at the very last second, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I looked around the large, spacious room that's only source of light was orange-y glow that came from the roaring, crackling flames that nestled in the fireplace, seeing as the curtains were closed throughout the entire room.

"Suit yourself." Damon stepped ahead of me, grabbing a tumbler glass that was beside the silver tray. He picked up a bottle of Bourbon, twisting off the cap and pouring the contents into his glass, replacing it back on the tray. A satisfied smile appeared on his pale face, and I casually arched an eyebrow. Nothing was said, I gently bit down on my lower lip, helping myself to sitting down on the two-seater couch that was closest to the fireplace. Damon joined me, draping his one arm along the back of the couch, nearly touching _my _back; I felt my face become heated, but only slightly. He sipped his alcohol, the smile never leaving his face, his blue eyes flickered to mine. "So."

"What?"

"Story time." He chuckled, I laughed a little and rolled my eyes.

"What story?" I asked, his eyes lowered to staring directly at where my engagement ring had been before taking it off at the Gilbert house.

"The neglected ring." he said simply.

I reddened. "Not like you actually care."

Damon scoffed quietly under his breath, rolling his eyes this time. "You'd be surprised, Bella."

I swallowed hard; I loved it when he said my name. Just the tone of his voice, made it seem. . . _sexy_, almost. "I find that a little hard to believe."

I watched as he shifted his body slightly to be facing me, his arm still along the back of the couch, his eyes boring into mine. "Well, don't."

"Why are you so interested in me?" I blurted out, fighting the urge to cover my mouth for such stupidity as I silently cursed myself out. Damon chuckled, his shoulders lifted slightly as he gave a nonchalant shrug. I bit the inside of my cheek, racking around through my brain as I tried thinking of something else to say, to avoid telling him about the ring, I figure I'll save that for another time.

"So, about that ri-"

"Why was Elena so rude to me?" I asked abruptly. Damon's lower lip twitched, as his eyes roamed around the living room, as if he was listening or waiting for something, or someone. It grew silent rather quickly in the Salvatore's living room, no sound was made throughout the house, as far as my weak human ears could detect; I pulled my phone from my pocket, scrolling through my messages, frowning that Jacob still hasn't replied to my message from yesterday. . . were things_ that_ busy at La Push?

"Expecting a text from your secret boyfriend?" I heard someone tease from not too far away. I turned to see that Stefan had walked into the living room, having Elena nowhere in sight - of course, since she was at the Mystic Grill. Did Stefan know about his girlfriend's departure?

"Hi Stefan," I laughed a little. "And no, I'm waiting for my best friend, Jacob, to text me."

"Aw shucks." He seemed a bit more lively than when I'd first met him, which was a good sign, running a hand through his untidy dark brown hair and helping himself to a glass of Bourbon, downing it in a few sips. "Do you, have a boyfriend, Bella?"

"Why, are you _interested_, brother?" Damon mocked jokingly, sipping his own Bourbon. Stefan glared at his brother, then rolled his eyes.

"Where's Elena?" I couldn't help but ask, more curious to know if he actually knew, or if there was some kind of _game_ going on around here.

"Upstairs, in the shower." Stefan narrowed his eyes, dumbfounded.

I opened my mouth to protest, when I actually heard the nozzles in the upstairs bathroom turning, then the sound of someone stepping out into the hallway. It could easily be someone else that lives in the Boarding House, but that'd be a long shot since Damon had told me it was only him and Stefan that lived here; or Damon could have a lady friend over that he'd forgotten about before leaving to the Gilbert house or Mystic Grill. My theory was proven wrong when it, indeed, was Elena Gilbert that was coming down the staircase, drying her hair with the towel, wearing one of Stefan's button-down shirts and the jeans she'd worn out of the house, her tanned feet bare. What the hell.

"How did she-"

"Lookin' fine, Elena." Damon teased with a grin, interruptingly. Elena's brown orbs rolled and she sighed, giving a pleading look to her boyfriend.

"What brings you and Bella to the house?" Stefan arched an eyebrow, the fun mood was gone before it started, I could already tell.

"Thought I'd bring her here, I bumped into her at the Grill." Damon said.

"Which is also where I'd bumped into E-"

"Matt." Damon interrupted again. "She unofficially met your friend Matt, Elena." I bit my lip, _how did he know about that_?

I don't remember telling him about it. "Oh, you did?" Elena asked. "What do you think of him?"

"Um." My cheeks reddened. I couldn't straight up tell my cousin that I thought he was cute, mainly because I know nothing about him except his name. "I didnt really talk to him - I kind of accidentally made him drop the dish bin, and then some guy told him to get back to work, or something." Elena nodded slowly, glancing over at Stefan, who nonchalantly was sipping his Bourbon. I looked over at Damon; I realized that he was no longer sitting next to me, but was stoking at the burning logs with the wrought iron poker.

"Stefan, I need to talk to you." Damon mumbled as he continued stoking the fire. Elena took a seat beside me, crossing one leg over the other.

We both watched as the Salvatore brothers left the living room.

-_xx_-

**Damon's Point of View**

I stoked at the fire one last time before placing the heated wrought iron poker back on the rack, turning and exiting the room as humanely as possible with my brother, leaving Bella and Elena alone together. While we left to the basement, which was the most secure and private place throughout the entire Boarding House, I couldn't stop thinking about what Bella had asked me while we were on the couch, before Stefan and Elena had arrived. _Why are you so interested in me_? I was only able to shrug, not capable of giving the girl a verbal answer, it was just something I didn't have. I didn't know why I was so interested in finding out more about Bella, like where that sparkly diamond ring had come from, it's not like I actually cared; I was just being nice. Giving Bella the time of day because she was new to Mystic Falls, and didn't know anybody besides us, Elena, and Jeremy. That would all change, this would blow over quickly, but I was thoughtful enough to make a quick call to a witch outside of Mystic Falls to make a ring that would prevent Bella from being compelled by any vampires that happened to breeze into town. Such as Katherine. I shuddered, remembering the sight of Bella leaving the bar counter at the Grill - she'd had her second interaction with Elena's ancestor, without even knowing it. I intended on keeping her from knowing about the Supernatural for as long as I was "giving her the time of day" for her first few days, maybe two weeks, give or take, in Mystic Falls. Which was the whole point of this conversation that I planned on having with my baby brother; he needed to know that Katherine was still lurking around - Elena had only had a brief encounter with her beloved bitch doppelganger, it wasn't too pleasant, I could imagine. Bella had enough shit on her plate, she didn't need to know about doppelganger, witches, vampires, and now the fact that the Lockwood's are werewolves. . .

"What, brother?" Stefan took me out of my thoughts immediately.

"We have a problem." I opened the small fridge that was tucked under the rickety staircase, taking out one of the blood bags and tearing the tube with my teeth swiftly, bringing the tube-straw into my mouth and sucking down the luscious red ooze.

Stefan arched an eyebrow, "like what?"

"A _Katherine_ problem." I brought the bag away from my mouth, wiping the blood from my lips.

"What are you talking about?" My little brother asked, sounding rather bored and confused on why we were talking about our ex-lover. Yes, it was bad enough that we couldn't get her to leave Mystic Falls, especially now since she'd finally met Elena, and she had something planned with Mason Lockwood - I could feel it in my bones.

"Bella talked to Elena today. At the Grill." I said slowly, enunciating the appropriate words for my brother to understand.

He caught on quick. "She spoke to Katherine?" Good job, Stefan. Brownie points for you.

"Katherine wasn't very nice, as we'd imagine. I heard the conversation and had to get myself in there in case something was going to be remarked by the bitch that would make Bella suspicious." I replied.

"Looking out for Bella?" Stefan said smugly with a smirk.

"She's Elena's cousin, what do you expect?" I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Whatever, Damon." My brother chuckled and drank the rest of his Bourbon that was at the bottom of his glass. "Are we done?"

"I just wanted to let you know, brother. Bella can't meet Katherine." I declared, finding that best.

"I'll try to talk to Katherine, alright?" Stefan insisted with a slight smile.

"Last time that happened, she stabbed you in the stomach and ended up meeting Elena." I reminded him vaguely from what he'd told me that day. Stefan shook his head and sighed, ending the conversation. I smirked, slurping my blood from the bag within seconds and tossing the empty doner onto the floor - it would look strange, and bad, for me to walk upstairs holding a blood bag that was nearly or fully empty in front of Bella. Stefan stalked away from me, walking up the stairs to the main floor, I followed, gripping the glass in my hand firmly. My phone buzzed in my pocket, I took it out, surprised to see who's number was flashing on the Caller ID. I swallowed hard, answering it and bringing it to my ear.

"_Next time she comes near me, she is dead, Damon_." Katherine growled venomously into the receive before the line went dead. I clicked the call to an end, walking into the living room, wondering why Katherine had such a big deal over Bella being in Mystic Falls? Why didn't she like her? Ah, the questions that shall never have an answer because the bitch likes playing games, never tells the truth, and doesn't up about anything, no matter how important or unimportant it may seem.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry it has taken me so long to update, I've had things to do now that Christmas is coming up. I'll try to get another chapter in before the Holiday's. But on the bright side, I don't have school until January 7, or something like that, if the world doesn't end like it's supposed to, I have to say that it's a bunch of bullshit. I have my own theory. This guy never thought of the different timezones... Does he expect the world to die off slowly, at different hours of the day? It's already Friday, December 21, 2012 in some parts of the world, like Australia and I think New Zealand. I'm not sure. Anyway, that was my rant, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the End of the World!

How did you like this chapter, by the way?

Also, I've made it that this takes place after 02x04, which is Memory Lane, and the episode that Elena meets Katherine at the Salvatore Boarding House. So, maybe like a time-warped episode five is taking place currently, if you want to think of it that way. There will be some more Twilight coming up, rather than just Vampire Diaries and Bella showing all the time, I promise. Pretty soon Bella will be re-entering the world of vampires - it's getting pretty close, isn't it?

XOXO.


	8. Surprise Seduction

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Eight.**

Two whole weeks have passed since my arrival in Mystic Falls.

I was finding it strangely more welcoming than Forks had been, once school started up again in January. Elena promised that she'd help me find my classes on the first two or three days, but I was a little skeptic of her, due to the behavior she'd given me on Christmas – the bipolar attitude, of course. I would be attending school with Elena, Stefan, and Matt, the guy I'd met at the Grill and hadn't seen since. According to my cousin, I would also be meeting her two best girl friends and Matt's best friend; they'd all grown up together and were known around town, they were spoken high and fond of. Great, another small town and tight families, just the same as Forks had been.

The morning I had to wake up for school, I felt groggy and overwhelmed. My body ached, and as I sifted through my cloudy thoughts – I realized that I wasn't mentally prepared. Even though there had been no atrocious raining pattering against the roof of the house like on my first night in Forks, I was way beyond worried that things weren't going to go by smoothly for me as they'd been back in Washington. Yes, I had Elena as my guide, and I knew more people than I had when I first arrived, but it was an entirely different experience – just like Damon's driving. It almost saddened me that I wasn't going to see the other Salvatore in school, which concluded who was older in their family. I wouldn't mind spotting Damon's familiar face as I trudged my way through the halls of Mystic Falls High School. Climbing out of bed before my alarm went off, I scrambled around to find my clothes, walking into the bathroom so I could shower before school. It would loosen up the nervous knots that tightened my muscles, and that's exactly what I needed, if I were to make it through this day of being in school. Despite having my cousin, I definitely hadn't felt more alone – and the school day didn't even start.

I scrubbed hard with the brush against my back, and the rest of my body, closing my eyes as the hot water beat down against my soft pale skin. It felt good, and I couldn't help but smile to myself – but my eyes snapped open as someone's hand was placed gingerly on my shoulder. Holding my breath, I listened to the fast unbearable pounding of my heart inside of my chest. Slowly, I turned around, my brown eyes locking with someone's intense ice blue irises, and I swallowed hard. I recognized those eyes anywhere.

My gaze drifted, discovering that Damon was stark naked before me. I bit my lip, lifting my gaze to meet his once more, his hand slid from my shoulder, down my arm and pressing lightly to my hip. Nothing was said between us, as Damon pulled my body slightly closer; I felt something press against my leg – I didn't have to look down to know that it was his penis. I was inexperienced, shy, and uncontroversial. But Damon didn't seem to mind, as he lowered his head toward mine; within seconds, his lips were pressed gently against mine. To my surprise, I was leaning more against him, deepening the kiss. He didn't mind this, either.

I yelped quietly as Damon grabbed behind my thighs, lifting me from the ground in the shower, and pinning me against the wall without making a sound. The water felt hot against my skin, but that was nothing compared to having him pressed against me, gently biting down on my lower lip before peppering kisses down my neck, sucking lightly until there was a light purple mark left behind. Never had I felt this before, not with Edward, he was too cautious. One hand left my thigh as he pressed harder against me, dipping between my thighs and pressing two fingers against my wet core, moving right up my stomach and to my breasts. He rubbed my erect nipple between his thumb and index finger, I instinctively rolled my hips hard and slow against his, unsure of where this sudden p_romiscuous attitude _came from – but I intended on milking it as much as I possibly could.

Damon growled softly against my neck, slowly starting to bite down. A tiny moan escaped my lips, and I bucked my hips hard against his, reaching up and tangling my fingers through his thick wet dark brown hair, tugging hard, grinding hard against him – he matched me instantly. I swallowed hard when I felt his hand grazing my pussy, and bit down harder on my lower lip than I anticipated, holding my breath as I waited to see what Damon would do to me next. Slowly, two fingers were inserted, but I clearly wasn't ready, my body knew. Tense, I arched away from the shower wall, wrapping my legs around his waist, trying to ease up before he turned away after realizing I was a timid, shy and inexperienced virgin. His two fingers pumped in and out of me tantalizingly, and I couldn't help but moan as I tipped my head back, raking my fingers through his hair roughly, rocking my hips in sync with his fingers.

"Damon," I whispered softly.

He mumbled something against my neck, biting down a little harder than he'd done before. I pouted when his fingers were removed from my sopping heat, but my eyes widened as I felt something new entrance me. The tip of his penis had nudged into my core: centimeter by centimeter, Damon slid his length deeper until he was pressed against the little barrier that separated me from virgin to _woman_. He lifted his face from my neck, looking into my eyes as if silently asking whether or not this was okay, I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out, so I nodded at him. Damon blinked twice, chewing softly on his bottom lip as he pulled his body back slightly, then slowly bringing himself further inside, I flinched when the pressure had been hard against my "Cherry", as it was dubbed by just about every teenager on this planet. Pain electrocuted me, but it soon washed away as relief soothed me – it was like being controlled by Jasper Hale, Edward's adoptive brother who posed as Rosalie's twin to the humans of Forks. All my emotions that once weighed me down, had been lifted, and I felt nothing but happiness, pleasure, and some other emotion that I couldn't name. I enjoyed it.

His face buried into the crook of my neck as he started thrusting slowly now that he'd pushed passed my hymen, making it easier for him. I was already dripping with juices, it allowed him to slide in and out quicker – he didn't hesitate in getting right to business with every thrust, it was gentle but had just enough roughness whilst deep inside of me. I moaned his name, tightening my grip on his hair in my fist, rolling my hips hard into his, trying to create a rhythm. I dropped one hand to his back, dragging my nails along his muscles, digging slightly into his skin, almost breaking passed the surface. Damon moaned, I could tell that this turned him on, which made me do it again – he went harder than before, and I yelped out another moan, trying to pull him closer to my body, wanting more of him, desperate for his touch. I bit my lip when he started rubbing at my clit with his thumb, gyrating my hips slowly, moaning his name in his ear.

And then, everything changed as I felt a small prick against my neck. Almost as if someone had stuck me with a needle. I turned my head slightly to look at Damon, and my eyes widened when I saw a thick redness trickling to my breasts from my neck. Damon was too busy thrusting to notice that I'd sensed something was wrong, until I slapped my hand against his back to get his attention – this was something he thought as getting rough with him, since he spread my legs slightly, I could feel the pace increase, the friction getting to the point where my body started shuddering with an orgasm. Damon lifted his face away from my neck finally, and that's when I saw _it_.

The crimson of his eyes that surrounded the iris that went from an light, baby blue to a deep sapphire. Blackened veins that heralded a vampire visage surrounded his changed eyes. A low growl erupted passed his fangs that peaked passed his tinted red lips. Blood, my blood, drabbled down his chin from the crease of his lips. I swallowed hard. I'd met another vampire, I'd let another vampire take my virginity.

"D-Damon.." I whimpered, but it sounded more like a moan since the thrusting had not stopped in the slightest of ways. It seemed like the blood turned Damon on.

I watched his head tip back, and then seconds later, something sharp pierced my skin. I screamed as loud as I could, as Damon sunk his fangs deep into my neck, my hands flew up as I tried prying him from my neck. This was a new sensation, I felt almost drugged. I didn't feel the seering pain that I'd felt when James, the sadistic tracker, had bitten me on my wrist. There was no burn, there wasn't any suffering that followed. I was perfectly fine, but I still screamed at the top of my lungs, frightened – now faced with this, I wasn't ready to become a vampire. My eyes fell shut, while I continued trying to remove Damon from my neck, but he only held me tighter – this turned him on, it was obvious, and there was nothing I could do: he was stronger than me.

Blackness covered my eyes, as I felt myself slipping away. My hands fell from Damon's jaw, giving up on trying to remove him, I was growing weak, I was tired. My body felt numb. Was I losing too much blood? Moments later, I was completely under without turning back, and I could be a vampire when, and if, I woke up after this moment. Damon's face just a blur in the back of my mind, I felt my body collide against something – not the tile floor of the shower, but something soft and fluffy. I struggled in opening my eyes, trying to turn onto my side or moving my body all together – and then, I heard the loud ringing through my ears. It caught my attention, sending a jolt through my body, my eyes snapped open. I flopped to my back like a fish out of water, my heart racing inside of my chest, I stared around with the same vision I'd had when I was human.

Slowly, I sat up, looking around to see that I was back in the bedroom, fully clothed and hair dried.

_How did I get here_?

I rubbed my eyes, bringing my legs close to my chest. I no longer felt sore, and my body was at it's strongest from the sleep I woke from only moments ago. My hand flew to my neck, there was no sign that I'd been bitten by Damon. Bitten by a vampire, even. It was smooth flesh. _So_, it was only a dream. This was the third time I'd had a supernatural dream: the first being when I discovered that Edward was a vampire, and the second being when I pieced together that Jacob was a werewolf. And now, my dream was telling me that either Damon was a vampire, or there was something seriously wrong with this town but showed off no evidence that it was true. Maybe Elena could help me figure out what my dream meant, without telling her that Damon and I had sex in the shower, in my dream.

* * *

**AN: **it's 2:05 AM and I was in the mood to write another chapter for this, since I wrote one for my Clique story.

This is the first M rated chapter, and there will be many more to come. What are your thoughts on how this evolved in a matter of paragraphs?

Um, I dont know what else to say right now other than Good Night, and I hope everyone has a good Christmas. I promise to write one after the Holiday, and to have maybe three up before the end of my Christmas break.

I love you all. XOXO.


	9. The First Day

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Nine.**

Unfortunately, I had missed my ride to school with Elena.

I quickly took my shower, not allowing myself to think about my dream even in the slightest of ways as I stood under the hot water – wanting to get myself washed and rinsed as fast as I could possibly go, that way I could get out of the house. Even though I didn't have a ride, which meant I'd be walking to school; oh _joy_. After stumbling from the shower, I pulled on a pair of black skinny jeans, a gray v-neck tank top, and a dark button cardigan that fell passed my hips, leaving every one fastened except the first two. Grabbing my bag, I slipped on my black boots that Jenna had gotten me for Christmas, as I walked out the room – I felt terrible for sleeping in Jenna's room, since she was stuck on the couch. Just last night, Jeremy was complaining about how he missed having Alaric around, which sounded exactly as if he was blaming me for this. I don't blame him. I was a_ nuisance_.

I walked out of the house, gathering my damp hair and tucking it into the hood of my bronze bomber jacket that I received from Elena for Christmas, hoisting my bag up higher on my shoulder, shuffling my feet down to the sidewalk, with my hands shoved into my pockets. With my gaze to the ground, I tuned out everything around me, allowing myself to get lost in my thoughts – which just so happened to be about a certain dark-haired, blue-eyed Salvatore brother that I _think_ is a vampire. This made me think back to the Cullen family, whom I hadn't thought about since Christmas, and I hadn't talked to Alice like I promised that I would. When they were in "Vampire Mode" they looked nothing like the way that Damon had in my dream, their eyes didn't change when they bit someone – only when they were hungry, to a charcoal. Veins didn't appear beneath their eyes, they didn't look frightening as Damon had, in my dream. The only thing I wasn't keen on, was whether or not Damon sparkled in the sunlight as my fellow Cullen's did; but then that thought died out, as Damon and I walk around in broad daylight. That's when I realized how silly I was being about it – it was just a dream, anyway. . . _right_?

My thoughts were interrupted, bringing me back to reality, by the sound of someone honking their horn, rather obnoxiously. I shook my head, looking to my left, seeing a familiar Camaro had pulled up aside me along the sidewalk. One eyebrow raised as I cautiously scanned Damon Salvatore, as he sat casually in the front, gliding the car along the pavement, careful not to bring his car up onto the sidewalk. He smiled at me, taking one hand off the steering wheel and gesturing for me to get into the car with him – now, if this was some stranger, I'd keep walking or pretend that I was on the phone, but because it was Damon, one of the few people that I knew, I couldn't deny this invitation. Weakly I smiled at him as I hiked my bag up on my shoulder more, rounding the front of the car carefully and getting into the passenger's seat, closing the door behind me and tucking my feet beneath the dashboard. He revved the engine, turning the car away from the sidewalk, and off we went down the road; the only thing keeping it from being silent was the music coming from the radio.

"Why are you walking to school?" Damon asked as we neared the school.

I kept my attention out the window, "Missed carpool with Elena."

He was silent for a moment, "Why didn't you go with Jeremy? Or get a ride from Jenna?"

"Jeremy didn't go to school today, and Jenna was already gone by the time I was downstairs." I bit my lip, leaving out the part where I silently hoped that I would be seeing Damon on my way to school – but I figured that was a long shot. Though, here I am, sitting in the Camaro with him, on our way to dropping me off at school.

"Oh." Was all he thought of responding back, slightly tightening his grip on the steering wheel.

"Damon, can I ask you something?" I blinked a few times before looking over at him, I watched his facial expression change – he knew this must be serious, and something told me that Damon wasn't a _serious_ type of person. He glanced at me, then focused back on the road, lowering the volume on the radio so he could hear me better, and I don't have to speak louder than I already am.

"Go ahead." He mumbled.

I let out a slight breath; even though I figured that my thoughts were just running wild about vampires, due to how much I probably missed Alice, I just couldn't shake the feeling that my dream actually meant something. Instead of talking to Elena about it, like I planned to if I'd gotten a ride to school with her, I found it rather simple to just skip over that, and go straight to the pitch: asking Damon, himself.

"Are you—"

"we're here." He interrupted, I looked out the windshield to see that Damon was just pulling into the parking lot of the school, halting the car directly in front of the awning that guided my way to the front of the building.

"Um, thanks." I opened the door and climbed out.

"Wait," Damon called just as I was closing the door, I glanced at him. "What were you going to ask me, Bella?"

My heart leaped as he said my name, I lost my train of thought just by getting a good look at him – my eyes took in how his broad torso seeped through the tight black t-shirt that he wore, the bad ass and sexy appeal he got from wearing the leather jacket, the coy flicker in his blue eyes that only appeared whenever strands of his dark brown hair fell in front of those hypnotizing irises. I fought the urge to bite my lip, but I didn't want him to know that I was somewhat checking him out – I blinked, swallowing hard.

"Uh, it's not important." I finally choked up, Damon nodded slowly and turned his keys in the ignition. "I'll see you later."

"Want me to pick you up?" He asked with a playful smile.

"If you want." And with that, I closed the passenger door, turning on my heel and heading toward the school, trying so hard to not look over my shoulder, I wanted to see if Damon was still in front of the school. If so, was he checking out my ass? Mentally, I shook my head – where were these thoughts coming from? I was never like this back in Forks. It surprised me, and I'm sure it would surprise the hell out of Jacob and Alice if I ever got around to telling them about Damon, Elena, Stefan – and just about everything else in Mystic Falls. I heard the sound of the Camaro's engine rumble against the blacktop, and then it was gone, I sighed softly to myself, pulling open the doors to the school, stepping inside – the school was warm and humble, posters were tacked up along the painted brick walls and lockers, giving off different notices for events that were happening in school, such as fundraisers, benefits, parties, etc…

I eventually found the Main Office, slipping through the glass doors and making my way toward the front desk where a kind woman who looked early thirties, late twenties, with deep auburn hair and shining emerald eyes, her prominent cheek bones accented her thing, fox-like face. She was far too pretty to be a secretary woman in the Main office. She deserved to be a model, the very least – if this lady was pretty, I could only imagine how good looking the rest of the school staff and the student body were. She looked up at me from behind her black RayBans glasses, and somehow those glasses suited her better than I could think they would for me.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was like honey.

"Yeah, I'm new here… I'm—"

"Isabella Swan." She typed away on her computer, but never took her green eyes off me. "It's nice to finally meet you, sweetheart."

My eyes narrowed, "excuse me?"

"When Jenna Sommers enrolled you, we couldn't wait to meet another part of the Gilbert family. It's nice having distant founder's families coming into town for a while…" The woman's voice trailed off, and suddenly I was irritated. Not at her, but the fact that I wasn't truly apart of this "Founding Family" that she spoke of – hardly; I was just the daughter of Jenna's God Mother, and she was my last resort after leaving Forks. . . well, not a last resort, I just didn't know where else to turn to: I couldn't go to Jacksonville, _either_, to be with my mother again.

"Right." I cleared my throat.

"Welcome to Mystic Falls, Ms. Swan." She smiled, tapping one last button on her keyboard, and then the printed hummed to life – she was probably printing out my schedule.

"Thank you, ma'am." I smiled, biting softly on my bottom lip.

She smiled, reaching beneath the desk, and then I was handed my schedule. "I hope you have a good day, Ms. Swan."

I nodded once with a smile, taking my paper from the secretary woman, turning on my heel and heading out the Main Office, glancing down at the paper in my hand. For some reason, hearing that from the kind secretary woman, I felt like I could make it through the day without any problems. It gave me hope that things were going to be okay, as I walked down the polished hallway toward my first class of the day.

-_xx_-

Somehow, I managed to make it through the first five periods. I found it funny how I had lunch the same time I had it back when I was enrolled in Forks High, but not in a humorous kind of way – it was more ironic. Could this be a sign? Could something else good come out of this? After all, lunch is when I'd first spotted Edward Cullen. But I discovered that I had lunch with Elena and Stefan – how lucky they are, I was lucky too since I had almost every class with Edward thanks to his charm on the ladies at the front desk in the Main Office. I sat down at the table with my cousin and her boyfriend; there were several other people sitting around too. A male with dark spiky hair and deep brown eyes was sitting on top of the table, his hands on his dark denim-covered knees, he reminded me of Jacob, especially with his throaty laugh – he was introduced as Tyler Lockwood. Sitting close by was a blonde male that I recognized to be Matt Donovan, the busboy from the Mystic Grill I'd met on Christmas – I still felt bad that I knocked into him, and gotten his name called out by his boss in the middle of the pub. Next to Matt was a perky blonde girl with sapphire eyes, a petite face, thin nose, and full pinkish-red lips. Her curled blonde hair fell just a little passed her shoulders, parted neatly. My heart tugged rapidly – she was such a resemblance to Rosalie, it made me want to vomit all over the table, in front of everyone. She even had a pretty name, like my former boyfriend's sister –I shuddered at that identifier—: Caroline Forbes.

They all seemed nice enough, except Tyler – he just radiated the arrogant jerk jock that I suspected him to be, I knew he was a sports player from the lacrosse jersey that he was wearing. I may not be the sporty type, but how could he play in the winter? Then again, I knew nothing and barely went outside when the weather was frosty, unless I am in a warm climate like in Florida or Arizona.

I tuned into the conversation as Tyler and Matt started talking about the upcoming winter football game that they were planning, and then Caroline interrupted by bringing up some kind of event that was going on at the Lockwood's mansion – shit, they were rich? That just added onto my slight dislike for Tyler Lockwood, who groaned and started conversing with Caroline. I learned that there was a Masquerade Ball coming up, that the Lockwood's threw every year for the community, I also found out that Tyler was the Mayor's son and that his father had passed away earlier in the year. I sympathized, he was like Elena – but at least he still had his mother, whereas I had both my parents, I just didn't live with either one.

"Are you going, Bella?" I heard someone ask. I turned my attention to see that it was Stefan who was talking to me; his arm was draped around Elena but his eyes were intensely focused on me.

"To where? The M-Masquerade? I—I can't … I'm.. I—" I stammered nervously. Even though it wasn't Stefan asking me to the Masquerade, I couldn't help but tense up and feel so nervous. Last time I'd danced anywhere was my sophomore prom, with Edward, where I'd talked to Edward briefly about becoming apart of his Immortal world. That talk didn't last very long, and he had me believe that he was going to change me, but ended up only kissing my throat. It was a sweet gesture. But now all of that was long gone.

Stefan chuckled. "I get it, Bella. You're new in town. You're not up for becoming apart of Mystic Falls' society."

I blushed redder than a tomato. "Y—Yeah." And that was the end of our conversation.

I tried focusing on another conversation that was occurring around the table, which I ended up listening to Tyler once more – he was talking to Matt, wondering the whereabouts of his uncle Mason Lockwood, Elena softly informed that Mason was Tyler's deceased father's brother. I nodded, cupping my chin in my hand as I propped my elbow on the table, listening to Tyler talk – even though I didn't necessarily like Tyler, I felt like I could listen to him talk for hours on end. But I also half listened to what Elena and Stefan were talking about:

"What's Damon doing?" Elena inquired just low enough for Stefan (and me, unknowingly) to hear.

"Don't worry about it… Everything's under control, Elena." Stefan mumbled back, his eyes focused on Caroline skeptically. I watched as the blonde leaned her head on Matt's shoulder, looking between Matt and Tyler, biting her lip gently.

"I hope you're right, Stefan." She whispered. My attention went back to Elena, discreetly. _What were they talking about_? I shook my head slowly, rising up from the table just as Caroline had scooted to sitting on the other side of Stefan, muttering things to him, far more quietly than Elena had been talking – as if she knew I was eavesdropping: her eyes were even locked on me. I tried not to let her know that I noticed, but I wasn't too good at being sneaky. I said goodbye to my cousin, walking away from the table and heading out the Café doors, trudging down the hall, silently praying that Caroline, Elena, or Stefan didn't intend on following me out and talk to me.

I was maybe three halls down from the Café, when I heard someone's nearly soundless footsteps approaching from behind. They were boots, that didn't match the heel of mine – they sounded almost like stiletto boots, I figured it was a teacher. . . or something. I was afraid to turn around, for in fear that it might be Elena or Caroline coming to talk to me. I turned down another hallway, minding my business, keeping to myself, making sure that I wasn't being followed – I no longer heard the footsteps of the stiletto boots clacking against the marble floor throughout the hall, echoing off the walls.

Abruptly, I felt myself breathless as if the wind was knocked out of me. I tried to swallow, but it was like my wind pipe was being crushed, and through a cloudy, hazed mind I found myself staring into a pair of dark eyes flooded with red around a deep sapphire – like in my dream. My eyes centered and focused, although my vision was a little blurry. Surrounding those intense eyes was blood-colored veins that pulsated with fury, as a hint of hunger surfaced in the dilated, barely visible pupil. This face was not male, it was far too petite. And then I saw the familiar strands of curled pale blonde hair, framing the face of my attacker. I allowed myself to fully look at her face – peaking out from her pinkish red lips, were two sharp fangs that threatened to pierce the soft skin of my neck. I tried not to panic, desperately hoping that this was another dream, and I'd fallen asleep in lunch. But everything seemed too real, although so did the one involving Damon. My heart revved inside of my chest, as we both stared intensely at each other, her vampire visage never dissolving back to show that she meant no harm to me, and this was just a warning.

"What did you hear?" Caroline growled from behind her fangs.

She applied more pressure against my throat with her arm; I tried not to let her sense my fear, this was something I learned from being around the Cullen family and being in more than enough life threatening experiences against vampires. "N—Nothing."

"Don't lie to me." She leaned in closer, her teeth more visible – more scary.

"I'm not lying!" I heard my voice shaking as I told the truth to Caroline, but she only pressed her arm more against my throat, nearly crushing my esophagus. She narrowed her eyes slightly, opening her mouth a little wider, as if prepared to bite me – I was panicking inside, this was almost becoming exactly like my dream, and this time, I wasn't going to wake up in a sweat.

Caroline's head tipped back, and then she lunged forward. I squeezed my eyes tight. Just moments before Caroline's fangs pierced my skin, as I felt her warm breath against my neck, someone shouted, "Caroline, stop!" in our direction – a witness, I was thankful for. I refused to open my eyes, but I felt her arm disappear from my neck, allowing me to –struggle— breathing normally again. When I finally did decide to open my eyes, I looked down both ways of the hall, trying to steady my harshly pounding heart.

"Are you alright?" Stefan Salvatore asked me, genuinely worried. His hands were at my shoulders, inspecting me, most likely checking for bite marks in case Caroline had broken skin, probably thinking he wasn't fast enough. My mouth was held open, but I couldn't form any words. Slowly, I nodded at him, swallowing hard; the panic still lodged deep in the pit of my stomach. Stefan studied me carefully, allowing his arms to drop to his sides, taking a slight step back.

"I—I gott—I gotta… I—what—St—Stefan.." I stammered, struggling to speak.

"I'll have Damon come pick you up," He said as he took out his cell phone, dialing his brother's number and bringing it to his ear, moving away from me, pacing around as he spoke lowly into the phone. His lips barely touching and moving as he talked to Damon. I watched him carefully, and all I could think, was that my dream had meant something – only it wasn't Damon that was the vampire, but it was Caroline. And she was terrifying. Nothing like Alice, Edward, or any of the Cullen's. . .

Speaking of her, I needed to call her as soon as possible.

"Damon's on his way." Stefan said as he hung up the phone, "Grab your things, I'll walk you outside and wait so you're not alone."

"O—Okay." I whispered.

_And you just might keep Caroline away from me, too_.


	10. Cruel (Un)intentions

Epigraph

_"I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever." _  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Ten.**

I said goodbye to Stefan as I watched Damon's car pulled up in front of the school. There was no awkward hug or anything relevant, I simply opened the door as the Camaro halted to a stop, and climbed in, offering a slight wave as Stefan turned his back to me, heading back inside our high school. Damon revved the engine, and then the car was jerked away from the sidewalk; as we drove away from the high school, it was completely silent. Something must be wrong, or something might have happened while discussing the incident with Caroline over the phone with Stefan, because Damon even had the radio turned all the way down so that there was absolute silence flitting through the car. I glanced at him, seeing that his hands gripped at the steering wheel, his knuckles whiter than bone as he clenched the wheel in hand.

It wasn't before long that we pulled up to the Salvatore Boarding House – it had been two weeks since my last visit. Damon parked off to the side of the house, getting out almost too quickly, and coming around to open my door. His gentleman manner made me think of my first night here, when we talked up in Jenna's room for what seemed like hours on end. I climbed out of the car, quietly thanking Damon for taking time out of his day to come get me from school. He smiled, a tight-lipped smile, and softly cleared his throat. He took my bag from my shoulder and dropped it to the passenger seat, closing the door afterward, taking my elbow lightly in hand. I didn't fight as Damon pulled me toward the house, but I did stumble, as was expected, I struggled to not trip over my feet, but I knew Damon would catch me if I did end up falling. He didn't say anything to me as we walked into the house, taking me straight to the living room –slash— parlor, watching as Damon instantly picked up a glass, pouring himself a drink. This seemed like a usual thing for him.

It wasn't until Damon was standing by the fire, and I was sitting on the couch, that there was any sound emitting throughout the house. He sipped his drink, staring at the crackling flames. "Wanna talk about what happened with Blondie?" He asked, I could hear the distaste in his voice when he said his nickname, for I presume Caroline. It made me wonder if there was some sort of history between them – but I'd rather not dwell on that.

"Uh, no." I mumbled, crossing one leg over the other.

"You are so shaken." Damon observed, turning and handing me his drink. Slowly, I let my fingers wrap around the glass and bring it to my lips – I swallowed back the caramel colored liquid, mentally cringing as it left a sour taste along the walls of my throat, hitting the pit of my stomach. I never liked the taste of alcohol, to be honest.

"Thanks." I whispered against the glass, taking another sip even though I didn't necessarily want to.

Damon went to the end table, picking up another glass from the silver tray and pouring another drink. "What is this?"

"Bourbon." He said as he sipped his new glass. I nodded slowly. "So, are you gonna tell me why Stefan had me come pick you up from school?" One eyebrow lifted, as he questioned me… I was surprised, I thought Stefan would have told him what happened with Caroline, but I guess I was wrong.

I swallowed back more of the Bourbon. "It was. . . nothing like I've ever seen, Damon."

He nodded intently. "What does that mean? Stefan told me you were scared, but he didn't specify _why_."

"Caroline… She—She pinned me to the wall, an—and—her face. . . it was just—she. . . her eyes – these –these veins… it was… she—" I had no proper way of spitting out what happened, I remember that I stammered just as nervously, rambling to Stefan back at the school.

"Bella," Damon said softly. "Just take a deep breath."

I did as he commanded, and strangely, I felt a little better. "Damon, I—I know it sounds crazy but. . . but, Caro—Caroline is a—a…" I paused, thinking of the millions of possibilities that could happen if Caroline knew I was going to tell Damon her secret. Would I face consequences like a vampire would suffer from the Volturi if they seek out death, exposing themselves in the sunlight or a human found out their existence?

"She's a, what?" Damon was now sitting beside me, his arm draped along the back of the couch while casually sipping his choice of alcohol from the tumbler glass.

"Vampire." I blurted, not necessarily thinking any longer. All worry had been slipped from my mind as Damon took a seat next to me, sending my heart revving inside of my chest from how close he was to me, again. Carefully, I studied Damon's face, waiting to see a reaction on his thoughts of Caroline being a vampire – but his eyes were flat and emotionless, there was no source of reaction evident on his face, almost as if he _wasn't_ surprised.

"A vampire." He finally stated, unblinking.

"I wish you—you could have seen her f—face, Damon. It—it was…" My voice trailed. "Wait," I mumbled to myself, going back to the fact he looked anything but surprised to hear this from me. "Why—Damon, do you—do you think—Are you—"

"You stutter a lot." He cleared his throat. "Do you have a nervous tick?"

"I feel like there's something you're not telling me." I growled, Damon's shoulders lifted slightly in a shrug. "Damon." I smacked his arm and he didn't flinch, I was very weak, I couldn't even throw a good punch. "Damon!" I raised my voice.

"What, Bella?" He said casually, taking another sip from his glass with an eyebrow raised.

"Did you know about Caroline being a vampire, and—and played dumb about it?" I asked through my teeth, unexplained anger building up inside of me. Damon only stared at me, a cold, hard look eclipsing his blue eyes.

"There's more to this town than you know, Isabella."

And with that, Damon Salvatore stood up from the couch and walked out of the living room. I stared, dumbfounded and slightly enraged. What the _hell _did that mean? I slammed the glass of Bourbon onto the nearest table surface, jumping up from the couch and hastily following after him, nearly tripping on the single, slight step that separated the foyer from the living room, stubbing my toe. I cursed under my breath, hopping on one foot for a few moments before trying to chase after Damon, but I lost where he'd gone – in his own home. I trekked up the stairs, taking two at a time, careful to not stumble or trip, that way I didn't end up falling down to the first floor, like my mother presumed when I'd had my accident in Phoenix because of the sadistic tracker. I reached the second floor, counting out the many doors – there were more than five, which meant I had a lot to look through. I started with the nearest doors, peaking my head in, discovering two bedrooms that looked like they were vacant, and most likely were.

"Damon!" I nearly yelled down the hall, I was determined to find out more about what he'd meant.

I went down the line of doors, sighing heavily, as I had no luck finding Damon in any of the rooms. I was ready to give up when I placed my hand on the doorknob at the end of the hallway, turning it slowly, debating whether or not to open it – I found it a little pointless since I hadn't found Damon anywhere else in the upstairs. Winging it, I pushed the door open – this room was magnificent. It was so spacious and open, having a king size four poster bed with a gold and bronze duvet, having several pillows along the headboard. One wall was made up entirely of window, half hidden by silk bronze-gold curtains that matched the comforter, having the same patterns. A gold-bronze-tan rug was beneath the four-poster bed, while the rest of the floor was a dark stained polish wood. Books were piled on the floor by the head of the bed, some looking as if they'd been read over and over, while the others seemed untouched for years.

I stepped further inside the room, curious as to who's bedroom this was. The bed was messy: sheets unmade and pillows clustered together like someone was having a hard time sleeping. I looked around, going toward a wide space arch that led into another room, connecting to the bedroom. I headed toward there, peaking my head in – it was a bathroom with smooth ivory tiles, dark wood walls that matched the bedroom, porcelain sink and toilet set with a ivory claw foot porcelain tub. I'd never seen such amazing furnishing in either rooms, before in my entire life.

"Bella?" An astonished voice sounded from behind. I spun on my heel, finding myself staring at Damon – he was now shirtless, and still drinking his glass of Bourbon. "Why didn't you stay downstairs?"

"Because we need to talk, Damon." I struggled to keep my voice hard, determined to not get distracted by the contours of his perfect, muscular torso – he blew Edward's body away, from the glimpses I've seen whenever he removed his shirt or I tried unbuttoning his shirt. I'd never seen such an. . . _Adonis_.

"About?" He brought the glass to his lips again, but didn't take a sip. I glowered at him as if saying, _you know what_, pursing my lips together into a tight line; Damon's bottom lip twitched as he fought either a smile or a smirk.

"What aren't you telling me, Damon? I thought we were friends." I watched him. "_Friends_ don't keep secrets."

"We are not _friends_, Bella." He said slowly. "I'm _babysitting_. Understand? I don't _care _what happens to you, I don't _care _of your thoughts about Caroline being a vampire. Bella, I don't _care _about you."

I gasped, even though I didn't mean to. Swallowing hard, I took a step away from Damon, scanning his face for any sign that he was joking – that he didn't mean a word of it. But he gave off nothing, his eyes were like stone, boring into mine. His face was taut, like he was fighting something off – a battle on the inside. I trembled, shoving passed him as I made my escape out the rooms, darting down the hallway, almost falling as I ran down the stairs but quickly catching myself. I held back the tears as I went straight through the front door, taking my phone from my pocket and dialing the first number that came to mind, dropping to my knees as I threw myself forward, almost jumping from the porch to the front lawn. My hands were shaking as I brought them up, bringing my phone to my ear, listening to the rings as the phone call went through. I prayed they would pick up the phone. I needed someone to talk to, I wanted to pour my heart out, I never wanted to stop crying – I needed to talk about Caroline, and what the harsh verbal slap that Damon had given me.

I haven't felt like this since Edward had left me, and I barely knew Damon Salvatore.

I don't know what it was about him, but I felt so strongly attached to him. The same way I felt when I was with Edward.

"Bella? Is—Is everything alright?" The female's voice was frantic through the receiver. I choked out a gasp as I was relieved that she had picked up the phone, but she'd probably know that I was calling based on my decision as soon as I bolted from the house. She knew I would need her.

"Al—Alice.. Can you—Can you talk?" My voice trembled almost as bad as my body.

"What happened?" My friend's soft voice almost soothed me, but it just wasn't enough. She wasn't physically here with me, she couldn't make me feel entirely better through the phone.

"I need you to come to Mystic Falls." I was surprised that I didn't stutter as I spurted out what I wanted most. Alice was quiet for a moment.

"I'll be on the next flight out." She finally responded. "do you want me to bring Jacob?" Her voice dropped as she said his name, from her dislike for the werewolves, due to the fact that not only did they "stink" and they were natural born enemies, but they caused blind spots in her visions. I thought about it for not even second, responding that I would only need her to be here – that bringing Jacob could possibly make things worse for me.

"Thank you." I whispered. We both hung up; I let myself be on my hands and knees on the lawn in front of the Salvatore house – the tears rolled down my cheeks. I knew I was overreacting to what Damon had said to me, but I couldn't help but feel this way, it just hurt hearing those words come out of his mouth. I thought we were friends, but I was wrong. I thought he cared about me, since he'd always been there for me since I'd come to Mystic Falls – but once again, I was wrong.

-_xx_-

**Damon's Point of View**

As soon as I left Bella down in the living room, I had the strongest feeling that she would follow me – which is exactly what I wanted. I left to upstairs, and thankfully, she didn't know which bedroom was mine; not that I would go directly there in the first place. I ducked into Stefan's room, hiding out in his connected bathroom, gingerly closing the door behind me. I was careful not to make a sound, I didn't want to give anything away. I took off my shirt, sliding it from my body and letting it drop to the floor of Stefan's bathroom as I brought the glass to my lips, sipping it slowly, listening as Bella bounded up the stairs with determination of finding me, just like I knew she would. The doors creaked open, then slammed closed as she was disappointed in not finding me, I laughed softly to myself, listening to her footsteps as she went down the line of doors along the hallway. My laughing stopped when I didn't hear the door at the end of the hallway close after it was opened – this happened to be my bedroom. Immediately, I left Stefan's bedroom entirely, walking down the few doors where my room was located, opening the door slightly and stepping inside, sipping my drink. I looked to see that Bella was somewhat standing in the doorway of my bathroom, looking around.

"Bella?" I was astonished to find her here – I didn't expect to. I thought she'd give up right away after discovering that I wasn't anywhere upstairs, as she'd expected _me_ to be. Although, that didn't go according to plan, since I sought out to find her in my room. "Why didn't you stay downstairs?"

"Because we need to talk, Damon." Bella said, I could hear the struggle in her voice. Her eyes swept over my naked torso, I tried not to smirk – no girl would be able to resist the sight of my body. I had this all calculated, my bottom lip twitched.

"About?" I brought the glass to his lips again, but didn't take a sip. Bella's eyes narrowed as she glowered at me as if saying, _you know what_. Her lips pursed into a tight line, my lip twitched again as the urge to smirk grew. The longer she stared at my body, the easier it would be to manipulate her, make her forget all about Caroline's vampire visage she had to unfortunately witness at the school. Kudos, to you Stefan, for letting it happen, I'd said to him while we were on the phone.

"What aren't you telling me, Damon? I thought we were friends." She watched me carefully. "_Friends_ don't keep secrets." I swallowed hard with a trail of scotch. Something churned inside of my stomach, and it rose to my chest, as my heart clenched – for some reason, I wanted her to think otherwise. I didn't want her to know I was _go_od, because then she'd _expect _good from me. And that's not something I wanted, I didn't want to live up to anything she wanted, or anyone.

"We are not _friends_, Bella. I'm _babysitting_. Understand? I don't _care _what happens to you, I don't _care _of your thoughts about Caroline being a vampire. Bella, I don't _care _about you." I watched the horrified look spread across her brown eyes. She stared at me for a moment longer before breaking out into a staggered run from my bedroom, down the stairs, and out the house – she was so frantic. I went to the window out in the hall, watching her as she dropped on the front lawn, her back facing the house as she hunched over – she looked like she was vomiting, but I highly doubt that she was.

There was some part of me that wanted to go out to Bella and tell her that I didn't mean a word of what I said, that I only said that to mess with her. But I wasn't Stefan, and she was not Elena – this was not going to be something that would end like a fairy tale, we would not end happily ever after like Stefan and Elena. I sighed heavily to myself, moving away from the window and going back into my bedroom, bounding myself onto the bed and laying back, sipping my drink as I triumphantly didn't spill a drop of Bourbon.

* * *

**AN: **I just want to say that I took a little piece of Season 3 (Heart of Darkness, episode 19) into this chapter when Damon mentioned he didn't want Bella to see good. So, I don't own that, as I don't own anything in this entire story. All rights go to the CW, Little Brown & Company, LJ Smith, Stephenie Meyer, and Summit Entertainment, all the people involved with the making of the Vampire Diaries and the Twilight Saga.

Sorry if this seemed rushed, by the way. But I hope you enjoyed. XOXO.


	11. Alice In Forks

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Eleven.**

Four hours prior to my phone call, I was now sitting on the couch in the living room of the Gilbert house in my pajamas with my legs tucked underneath me, with Alice beside me. Even though she'd just gotten here and I was comfortable, I didn't go right to telling her what was wrong – instead she let me cry to her, hugging my close, and soothingly rubbing my back, telling me that everything was going to be okay even though she didn't know what was precisely wrong. It made me think of when Edward had left, and how alone I was. But this scenery reminded me of when she'd come back after being under the impression I'd jumped off a cliff, trying to kill myself – we'd been talking, but not tears were shed. Somewhat, we were catching up on what's been missing, talking about everything except Edward at the time, until Jacob showed up to make sure I was okay with being around Alice. Now, I sat here, sipping my hot chocolate, not bothered by it burning my tongue and throat on the way down. She let me take my time in telling her what was wrong.

"How did you know what was wrong?" I finally asked.

"I had a vision, that you were upset, and that you were going to call me." Alice said, watching me carefully as I took another sip of my hot chocolate. The Bourbon hadn't left my system, but I had a clear head, hopefully Alice wouldn't notice anything – I doubt I was drunk, anyway, since I didn't have a lot to drink, and I was pretty sure that I wasn't a light weight when it came to alcohol.

"I was upset, and I didn't call." I weakly smiled at her.

"Why were you upset, Bella?" My favorite Pixie asked, her voice was soft but tense. It worried me with that tone in her voice, but I knew she was just as worried about me – she was very protective of me, more or less the same way Edward was, and I love her for it.

"I met—I met my cousin's friends. Her boyfriend was fairly kind to me, and I thought his older brother was the same way, b—but I was wrong. He was—he was very crude, h-heartless." I swallowed hard, I didn't want to think of what Damon had said to me, I didn't want to think of how foolish I was for believing someone like Damon could be my friend, I was in a fantasy, thinking that things could be like they were in Forks.

"Who?" Her voice rose an octave higher, with concern.

"Stefan and Damon Salvatore." I muttered against the mug. "Do you know them?"

"No." Alice said quietly, shaking her head. "They don't sound familiar to me."

I nodded slowly, biting my lip. "I would happily introduce you to Elena and Stefan, but I'd prefer if you didn't meet Da—Damon." I couldn't help but stutter out his name, I hated the effect that this male that I barely knew, had on me. But then again, I had a similar pull towards Edward when we'd first met.

"He misses you." She whispered, being the one to nod this time.

"I don't care," I helplessly muttered to myself. "I don't care about anything."

"Don't say that, Bella." Alice frowned.

I decided to change the subject by asking, "how long are you going to be in town?" while taking the last few sips of my hot chocolate, studying her carefully.

"However long you want me around." Alice's teeth flickered faintly with iridescent colors under the florescent lighting in the living room of the Gilbert home, as she smiled at me. I warmed, my heart no longer feeling almost completely hollow inside of my chest; I couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Don't you have to worry about school?" I frowned, I never wanted Alice to leave – it would be nice to have someone around that I actually knew, that was actually my friend, but I didn't let my thoughts wander any further because then I would be delving into thinking about Damon. I didn't want that, not now or ever.

Alice shrugged. "I'll be fine."

"We'll see how you like this town, for a week, okay?" I bit my lip.

"How is the—the weather, here?" She asked nervously, blinking repeatedly. My heart stopped; I hadn't given much thought about that, I was just happy to have Alice around me again, to be in the presence of my friend. It was pretty much always sunny here in Virginia. Barely any clouds, to cover the brilliant blue sky. She would be stuck indoors, until night fall – she would miss out on shopping opportunities while I was stuck at school, and pretty much doing anything that involved leaving the house, and where was the fun in that?

"Exactly as you see now." I muttered.

The playful, excited flicker disappeared from Alice's liquid butterscotch golden eyes as the smile fell from her pale pink, glossed lips, and she swallowed hard. "It was hard enough getting here without letting my skin be exposed to the sunlight…"

"I completely forgot, I'm so sorry, Alice." I apologized.

"Don't worry, Bella. It's fine. I'll manage, somehow." She said, the smile and flicker back on her flawless, pixie-like Immortally pale face.

"Alright…" my lip twitched as I smiled at her again. My heart returned to it's normal beating as I felt the need to no longer worry about Alice's problem with the sunlight – the only thing now, is whether or not Jenna would let her stay here, but then again, it was hard to resist anything involving Alice thanks to her perky substance, bubbly and loving personality, and charming looks.

"I won't be a burden, right?" she moved her bangs away from her golden eyes.

"Not at all." I tried not to smile – she had the same worry that I had when I first came here.

Not even twenty minutes passed, when Alice said she heard someone's car rolling up into the driveway. I tensed a little, hoping that Jenna hadn't come home early. Alice seemed completely relaxed, as she lounged back against the couch, smoothing down the royal blue dress that she wore beneath the white trench coat, her eyes flickering to the front door. I was relieved to see that it was Stefan and Elena that were coming through, coming into the foyer. Stefan's green eyes moved swiftly toward us, blinking a few times, surprised to see me sitting here – I assume that he hadn't talked to Damon, not like I expected Damon to be much of a talker, anymore. He glanced at Elena, who slid off her jacket and hung it up on the hook, walking towards us.

"Hey, Bella." Elena mumbled. "Who's your friend?"

"This is—"

"Hi, I'm Alice." She leaped up nimbly from the couch, rounding and walking over to her. I watched as Alice did not hesitate in pulling my cousin into a hug, rubbing her back slowly before pulling away. I noticed how Alice's spine stiffened as she pulled away from Elena, I stood up from the couch and walked toward them as well, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, wondering what had happened in those few short moments.

"I'm Elena." My cousin smiled politely. "And this is my—"

"You must be Stefan." Alice kindly interrupted, extending a hand out toward him.

"I am.." Taken aback, Stefan shook Alice's hand with a firm grip, his eyes never leaving hers – Elena shifted uncomfortably, rubbing her arm as she looked over at me, with an eyebrow raised. I shrugged and looked between the two, as their hands dropped to their sides simultaneously. I noticed the look in Alice's eyes, I'd only seen that look a few times before: when she was in the presence of another vampire, and that immediately worried me. Did Elena know she was possibly dating a vampire?

"It's nice to meet you both." Alice said, smiling. She was always perky, no matter what. It used to irritate me at first, until I got to know her once I started dating Edward, then it was a breeze talking to her.

"Uh, Bella… I thought Damon brought you to, uh, our house." Stefan's eyes moved to me, meeting my gaze.

"Something happened." Alice piped up, I groaned quietly under my breath. Stefan's eyes hardened, I watched as his jaw became taut, Elena looked cautiously up at her boyfriend, then looked at me, almost inspecting. I swallowed hard. Stefan leaned in toward Elena, whispering something in her ear, so low that I could barely follow his lip movement, just like when he was calling Damon earlier. Alice nudged me gently, but said nothing, I looked over at her – the hardness in her eyes told me that she had something urgent to get out.

"We're gonna go hang up in my—Jenna's room." I said, grabbing Alice's wrist and gingerly pulling her up the stairs to the second floor. Alice reluctantly followed, her footsteps soundless and gracious as we walked up to Jenna's bedroom, I closed the door behind me. Alice fled to sitting on the edge of Jenna's bed, careful to not step on my bags of clothes. I made sure I didn't trip on anything, making my way toward the bed, cringing as I remembered being up here with Damon – my heart clenched, even though it shouldn't.

"Start talking." She said with narrow eyes.

"I could say the same to you, Alice." I retorted, Alice sighed softly and rolled her eyes.

"What do you know about that Salvatore boy?" She asked, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow as she intently stare at me, bringing her legs carefully up onto the bed, tucking them beneath her, placing her hands in her lap.

"He's Damon's younger brother, he is a junior in high school such as myself, he's Elena's boyfriend – he plays or played football. He's easy to get along with… a—and he reminded me of Edward, when I-I first met him…" I replied hesitantly, studying Alice carefully, wondering where she was going with this.

"You're missing something in this, Bella." She said quietly, as if expecting someone to be lurking outside the door in the hallway. I looked over at the door, remembering how I'd been an eavesdropper when Damon was talking to Elena on my first day here, then went back to giving all my attention to Alice.

"Where are you—"

"He's a vampire, Bella." She whispered urgently. My eyes widened, and I swallowed hard. That was impossible – I'd seen Caroline, and Stefan was so calm, he pulled her away from me to make sure that I wasn't hurt. But then again, Edward had stepped in when Jasper lunged at me after I'd accidentally cut my finger. How could I have missed that? I thought I'd be able to pick out any vampire after spending so much time with the Cullen's. It didn't make any sense, Stefan looked nothing like the Cullen's – his eyes were green, his skin wasn't as pale, he ate human food as I witnessed during lunch, his skin was warm; he was so _human_.

"Alice, how can you—"

"I can sense other vampires, Bella. Don't think I'm lying, please. Stefan is a vampire." She nearly pleaded, she could also sense that I wasn't entirely trusting what she was telling me. I do, but at the same time, I don't. It confused me.

"D—Does that mean, that D-Damon is a—"

"That possibility, is very strong. I doubt one could be a vampire, and the other isn't. No one is that good at keeping a secret this big." Alice informed. I tried not to be in too much shock; so my dream about Damon was accurate. He is a vampire. So is Stefan. And Caroline.

"Wh—what about Elena?" I nervously asked.

"No, she's human." Alice insisted kindly. "You have nothing to worry about."

"Okay." I let out a deep breath, nodding slowly. It amazed me that I was so keen, but I never truly trusted my instincts once I came to Mystic Falls – who knows what else is out there, what's in this town. But there was something that's been bothering me, now that I know Stefan is a vampire. . . "How can he walk in the sunlight? He doesn't… Stefan doesn't sparkle."

Alice appeared dumbfounded. "I have absolutely no idea, Bella. I really don't. That is what threw me off about him being a vampire, to be completely honest. I didn't want to trust my instinct, but it's hard to know when you come across another vampire, no matter where you are."

"Do you think he knows you're a vampire?" I whispered, knowing that Stefan could hear me – if he was anything like Alice, whether he sparkled or not, he had excessive hearing.

"I don't know." She shrugged lightly.

-_xx_-

That night, Alice had gone out for a hunt – apparently it had been a while since she'd had a good dose of animal blood in her system, so I let her go, remaining cooped up in Jenna's bedroom. I would never get used to the idea of calling it my room, mainly because it really isn't mine, and never would be – I had to do something about that; maybe if Alice stayed long enough, we could find a place, that way I wasn't being a bother to the Gilbert's. I stirred around on the bed, trying to get comfortable, keeping my hand tucked beneath my head against the pillows, turning on my side, staring at the wall as I cold breeze slipped through the cracked-open window. I bit my lip, unable to stop thinking about what Damon had said to me at the Boarding House, and then there was the fact that Stefan and Damon were vampires: I still couldn't believe it. It was hard to comprehend, only because they (and Caroline) were nothing like Alice, Edward, Rosalie, or any of the Cullen's – not even like the Volturi, their Guard, Victoria, James, or Laurent. The three of them, were just so much more human, they blended better, they fit in with the crowd of Mystic Falls.

I let my eyes fall closed, and it seemed like hours passing when they finally reopened. Alice hadn't returned, which saddened me, as I slowly sat up, rubbing my eyes childishly, looking around in hopes that she'd show up out of nowhere. No such luck. My hand fell to my side, and I was surprised when it smashed against something hard; I gasped as I turned quickly to my other side, astonished to find a certain dark haired male casually sitting on the bed beside me. I fumed. Anger boiled in my veins as I clenched my teeth, glowering at him, my breath caught in my throat. I never wanted to see him again, so why the hell was he here? He had said he wasn't my friend, and he didn't care. . .

"What are you doing here?" I heard how cold my voice was towards him.

"Don't look at me with those judgy little eyes." Damon said, arrogantly.

I sighed. "You made it pretty clear, Damon, that we're not friends. So we're not talking, anymore. Now leave, please.."

His eyes squinted slightly as he let his mouth relax, his shoulders falling back as he leaned more against the headboard, keeping his attention entirely on me. I balled my hand into a fist, as I felt afraid of Damon now – now that I knew the truth about him, trying to let myself relax. If he could be among humans every day, he must have some good in him, he must be somewhat like the Cullen family, otherwise Alice would have warned me to stay away from him and Stefan.

"Who's your friend? The little pixie." He asked, ignoring what I'd said.

I rolled my eyes and let out another sigh. "her name's Alice. She's a friend from Forks… How did you know about her?"

"Stefan." We both said in Unison, I tried not to laugh at how easily I suspected his younger brother to tell him about my friend who'd appeared out of random, or rather I'd called her because I needed comfort that I couldn't get from Jenna or Elena, I wouldn't be able to talk to them like I'm able to talk to Alice – especially about what happened with Damon.

"She seems nice." Damon observed. "Hot too."

"She has a boyfriend." I said through my teeth, giving him a clear warning of not trying to go after Alice – instantly thinking of Jasper, whom Alice was technically married to, just like Rosalie was to Emmett, and she loved him more than her own life. As the rest of the family loved their mates.

"Boo." Damon grinned. "So when can I meet her?"

"Never." I growled. "Get out of here, Damon."

"You are so mean to me, Bella." He pouted at me, I tried not to think how adorable he looked with his lips curved like that, it made my heart accelerate inside of my chest – despite what Damon had said, I was still physically attracted to him, and I _hated _it.

"I have every right to be." I struggled to keep my voice steady, as my eyes swept over the casual, almost seductive way he was slouched on the bed; his shirt was somewhat unbuttoned, partially exposing his broad upper body. One hand was at his side, the other was placed on his stomach. His eyes smoldered, and his hair fell into his eyes but didn't bother pushing the strands away. I waited, to see what he'd say next, as I blinked, looking back up at his face – I sort of expected an apology for what he said. But it never came.

"Bella." He said softly, his voice was hypnotizing, melting honey. It lured me in. I couldn't help but look at him, staring into his eyes. Was this his way of starting off an apology for being so rude to me?

I didn't realize, but Damon was moving in slowly, so that our faces were centimeters apart. Reluctantly, I pulled away from him, but never took my eyes away from his. I found that this was the perfect time, to tell him what I knew, wanting him to deny or confirm what Alice had told me. . .

"D-Damon." I whispered. One eyebrow lifted on his face. "I—I know… Al—Alice had said… I—Are—are you a v-vampire?" I stuttered, watching him, waiting for a reaction.

His eyes gloomed to a shade darker, as his facial expression suddenly became serious. "Why?" was the only thing that blew passed his lips. Suddenly, I felt afraid, and I wished I never brought it up – what if he was secretly an aggressive vampire, and would hurt me for talking about it? Not all vampires take things lightly, as the Cullen's do.

Instead, I remained silent.

"Why, Bella?" he asked again, his voice hard and more serious than before. It matched his expression that loomed across his face, staring into my eyes, his hand lightly pressed onto my wrist.

"It's . . . it's just a question, Damon." I murmured in response.

"You mentioned your friend Alice." He said sternly. I swallowed hard; he caught me there. And I couldn't back out of this conversation, I was in too deep. We stared intently at each other, Damon's expression never softened, and I didn't back away from him – I was silently challenging him, I suppose. I placed my hand over his that was on my wrist, rubbing my thumb across the back of his hand, leaning in slightly closer this time; Damon didn't back away from me, like I'd done to him.

I felt something shift between us, and suddenly, I felt a warm pair of lips press softly to my own. My eyes fluttered closed, I found myself leaning in more, kissing Damon back, without a thought running through my mind other than the fact I was enjoying having his lips on mine. I lifted my other hand from the bed, my fingertips grazing his jaw, pressing firmly as I cupped his face in my palm, pulling his face closer. I felt Damon's lips curve, and I couldn't help but smile too.

I was wrong about Damon.

In fact, I was wrong about a lot of things.

And sometimes, being wrong was a good thing, because it lead to even more good things.

Unfortunately, Damon forced himself to pull away at the sound of someone clearing their throat. I expected it to be Elena, coming to say goodnight, or even Jenna – never Jeremy, I might add because he could honestly care less, he didn't need to spell it out for me –, but instead I found someone's familiar gold eyes staring directly at me, smoldering as they waited and demanded an explanation. I turned to look at Damon, but I saw that he was gone, the bed wasn't jostled, looking like it wasn't sat on – almost as if he never was on the bed beside me. My attention went back to Alice immediately, tucking a strand of hair nervously behind my ear, biting down gently on my lower lip.

"Hi.." I muttered weakly, the look on Alice's face told me that she wasn't pleased.

* * *

**AN: **i wanna thank everyone for reviewing! Maybe I should start doing some shout-outs to those who are frequent, or anyone else who reviews after this chapter.

anyway, what did you think? did you like Alice coming back? what about the little Damon and Bella bedroom scene? give me your thoughts please! XOXO.


	12. Katherine

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever._"  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twelve.**

"You have some explaining to do." Alice said as she moved to sitting on the bed across from me, a slightly disappointed expression broadening on her flawless, ivory face. I swallowed hard – how could I explain this to her? I didn't even acknowledge that Damon Salvatore had kissed me, until seconds later, but I know that I enjoyed having his lips against mine; I wanted to savor every moment, only I didn't get a chance to. Alice shifted slightly on the bed, bringing both legs to being tucked under her small body, her golden-eyed gaze boring into mine. It made me uncomfortable – Alice only used this kind of look whenever she was silently having a conversation/argument with Edward. A look that said, "I'm waiting" surfaced in her eyes, impatiently.

"What's to explain, Alice? He kissed me. End of story." I snapped, and then I immediately wished I could take that back. I didn't mean to be rude to Alice, but that's just what it was: Damon kissed me, there was no further detail. I didn't ask him to kiss me, and then there was the fact I'd been left under the impression that he wanted nothing to do with me, from what he'd said earlier in the day at the Boarding House.

"But you—"

"Look, Alice. I'm just as confused as you are – he had told me he didn't care about me, and then not too long ago: he kisses me. I don't know how it happened. . . it's not like I asked him to kiss me. It just happened. He willed it, and I allowed it." I interrupted quickly; I watched as the expression on Alice's face softened, I bit softly down on my lower lip.

"Why don't we go downstairs? I hear Alaric and Jenna." Alice offered, but there was this look of uncertainty in her eyes – she was kind of spaced, distracted; the way she got when she had a vision.

I'd question it, but it most likely had to do with Edward, thus I didn't want to know about it. Alice grabbed my hand, taking me from the bed, and bringing me downstairs – I can hear the sizzling coming from the kitchen as Jenna cooked dinner with Alaric. Alice stayed behind, taking out her cell phone and bringing it to her ear, probably making a quick call to her family in Forks; not that I blamed her. Standing in the doorway, I see that Elena had also just walked into the kitchen. Alaric took over the cooking, chopping up the different vegetables that we'd be eating tonight with whatever Jenna had cooking in the oven. I noticed that she was on the phone, pacing around a little by the island counter, I glanced at Elena, who ran her fingers through her hair as she stiffened slightly.

"Hey, Alaric, do you need help cooking?" I asked, slowly making my way toward the island counter where he stood – I don't know how Elena and Jeremy could do this, deal with the fact that their aunt and sole guardian was dating their history teacher; I think it's great that Jenna found a decent guy, after hearing about that Logan Fell news reporter before Miranda and Grayson died. But I don't think I'd be able to handle seeing my history teacher so often, especially outside of school, in my house, hanging out.

"Where's Jeremy?" Elena asked.

"Sure thing, Bella. Start chopping some carrots." Alaric said to me, and then to Elena, "Oh, he went straight up to his room. He said he wasn't hungry."

Elena nodded, taking some plates from the cabinet and starts laying them out on the table for when dinner was ready. She looked up at Jenna, her eyes slightly narrowed, "Who is she talking to?"

"I don't know." Alaric's shoulders lifted slightly as he continued preparing the dinner. "Everything go okay today?"

"There were a few hiccups but yeah." Elena bit her lip softly.

Jenna turned around so she was facing us, but she wasn't done talking on the phone, "Of course, I understand. Elena, it's for you." She took the phone away from her ear and held it out toward her niece.

"Who is it?" she asked Jenna, who only shrugged but didn't say anything. Elena nods, taking the phone from her aunt and bringing it to her ear. "Hello?" Someone responded, a voice I couldn't hear but Alice probably would be able to; I see that Elena's eyes slightly widen and her eyes immediately flicker to Alaric; he looks at her questioningly. I watch as Elena leaves the kitchen, I shrug and grab the knife that Alaric had been using, and start cutting up the carrots while Alaric went around to finishing setting up the plates, putting out forks and knives as well. I hear faintly in the living room, that Elena said the name, "Katherine," in barely a whisper – as if expecting someone else to hear. It made me wonder where Alice had gone, I excused myself from helping Alaric, putting the knife down and walking into the living room. I can see through the window that Alice is pacing around outside, the phone to her ear, I look over at Elena, who had slowly made her way back toward the kitchen. I see that Alaric gave my cousin a _what's going on? _Gesture but Elena only put her hand up, gesturing for him to hold on. "No." she whispered.

I turn around to look at Alaric again, and just over his shoulder I see Jenna picking up the knife – guess she's going right back to cooking. And then I hear Elena drop the phone to the ground.

"Jenna, no!" She shouts. I look over, my eyes widen as I see Jenna double over to the ground, holding her stomach.

"Jenna! Jenna!" Elena, Alaric, and I rush over, there's blood all over the floor and her clothes – the knife was lodged into Jenna's stomach. Alaric grabs his keys from the counter, while I call the ambulance; we wouldn't be able to get her to the hospital without something happening, especially with my tendency for good luck avoiding me. I exit the kitchen, peering out the window to see that Alice had disappeared from the front yard – my guess was that she smelled the blood from outside, and needed to get as far away as possible. It reminded me of my birthday, when I'd cut my finger – the whole Cullen clan left the house to the woods, except for Carlisle since he was the one to fix me up after getting glass shards in my arm.

-_xx_-

Not too long after, all of us are lounging around the waiting room, while Elena went to go talk to the doctors. I couldn't think straight; it made no sense as to how that knife ended up piercing Jenna's stomach – she looked like she was in complete control when she went to start making dinner again with Alaric. I sat on the seats, with my legs brought up and hugging them close to my chest, with my chin on my knees – I wasn't the most patient person in the world, and I was dying to know how Jenna was doing, from what Alaric had said in the car, the way it looked, Jenna's stab wound could have been fatal. Finally, for what seems like hours later, not only did Alice show up at hospital to sit with me, but Elena came back from talking with the doctors, I watch as Jeremy bolted up from where he sat and walked to his sister. Both hands went to her shoulders, as he looked down at her.

"Is she okay?" Jeremy asked.

"The doctors told Alaric that she got lucky. She's gonna make it. She's gonna be okay." I pretended to be interested in a fake conversation with Alice, listening to what Elena and Jeremy were saying. Alice went along with it, ducking her head in – she had a better sense of hearing than I did, I tapped her leg lightly as a way to have her tell me what they were saying; I knew they'd be talking in hushed voices. That's just how Mystic Falls was.

"Does she remember what happened?" Jeremy's voice dropped.

"No, nothing. It's all a part of Katherine's mind compulsion." Elena responded; my eyes narrowed from what I heard – there was that name Katherine again, and what was this mind compulsion? I looked at Alice, who only shrugged and continued listening; I noticed that Elena and Jeremy were more huddled now, talking in a whisper, which made it Alice's turn in listening to the conversation.

"Jeremy is asking why this Katherine person would want to hurt Jenna." Alice said softly, closing her eyes for a moment before reopening them, moving a strand of her short dark hair away from her chin. "Elena said that she's trying to send a message – that she could… get anybody…?" Alice's eyes narrowed, as did mine. I could hear that Elena started crying.

"Hey, hey, hey." Jeremy's voice was at full volume now. "Come here." I glanced over my shoulder to see that the youngest Gilbert had brought his sister into a tight embrace, rubbing her back soothingly. I looked back at Alice, to make it less obvious that I was eavesdropping – I noticed that this has almost become a profession of mine, since my arrival in Mystic Falls. "It's gonna be okay." Jeremy mumbled a little too loudly to his sister.

"No, it's not." Elena cried to her brother.

"She's gonna pay, Elena. I don't know how, but she's gonna pay." Jeremy said, his voice almost promising. I swallowed hard, getting up from the chair in sync with Alice. I looked one last time at my cousins, before walking out of the waiting room and hospital with my friend. I didn't like this Katherine girl, she had hurt Jenna because of something that possibly had to do with Elena, or even one of the Salvatore brothers – I intended on finding out more information about her, I just don't know how or when, since I didn't even know what Katherine looked like.

-_xx_-

Elena didn't come home right away from the hospital, she was most likely spending the night there at the hospital to be with Jenna, not that I blamed her. Alice went on a second hunt, since the blood had riled her senses a bit when Jenna accidentally stabbed herself. Which left me and Jeremy alone in the house; he went straight to his room as soon as Alaric dropped us off at the house, but he didn't come inside, instead he drove back to the hospital to be with Elena and Jenna. I flopped down onto my bed, taking my phone from my pants pocket and looking at the time – it was pretty late, I didn't realize how long we'd been there for. My heavy-lidded eyes struggled to remain open, I wanted to wait until Elena called with the latest on Jenna, or maybe even someone from Forks, wondering why I hadn't shown up in the new school year. But I figured that no one cared, except for maybe Angela, Mike, and Eric. Jessica was probably glad that I was gone, as bad as that sounded, but it was pretty obvious that she had the hots for Edward – and now that I was no longer around, she probably figured that she had a chance with him now. I sighed heavily, relaxing more against the mattress, blinking rapidly as I continued trying to stay awake a little longer.

The sound of a loud knocking immediately woke me, I jolted up from the bed, swinging my legs off the edge and standing up. I childishly rubbed my eyes, walking to the door and yanking it open, seeing that it was Damon; how'd he get into the house? Jeremy was probably sound asleep by now, he almost crashed while on the drive home from the hospital in the car. Damon pushed his hair frantically away from his face, walking into the room, looking over at me.

"Did you hear what happened to Jenna?" I asked, my voice shook, but only slightly.

"Yeah, I did. I'm sorry that happened." Damon immediately responded.

I tilted my head slightly, questionably. "Why are you apologizing, Damon?"

He stared at the ground for a moment, swallowing hard, as he slowly brought his gaze back up to look at me. "This is my fault, Bella. I'm the reason that Jenna's in the hospital." This surprised me: Damon didn't look like the one to take blame, and it also confused me, how could Damon _possibly_ be the reason behind Elena's aunt going into the hospital because she accidentally stabbed herself in the stomach.

"What are you—Damon, isn't it because of K—Katherine?" I stuttered on her name, unsure of whether or not I should let him know that **I **_know of_ Katherine. And from the almost petrified look in his blue eyes, I could tell that I wasn't supposed to know who she was, or anything about her.

"You know Katherine?" He gaped.

"Know _of_." I corrected quietly. Damon sighed, with relief. "Why did you come here?"

"I wanted to apologize, for kissing you." He stared directly at me. My heart clenched inside of my chest; did this mean that he _regrets_ kissing me? I bit my lip, refusing to look at Damon once I tore my gaze away. Nothing was said between us; an eerie silence filled the room and I almost wished that Jeremy would walk into the room. I saw from the corner of my eye that Damon had made his way to laying down on my bed, bringing his hands up behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. Awkwardly, I moved to the bed, lowering myself down to sitting beside him – we didn't look at each other. In fact, we looked everywhere around the room _except _in each other's directions.

It pained me, a little, to know that Damon was apologizing for kissing me. I didn't mind it. Actually, I enjoyed it. I wanted him to know that, some how. But the only way I could think of, was kissing him, pulling him to me and pressing my lips hard against his – how would he react? Would he push me away or kiss me back? I was afraid of rejection, from Damon.

I was thankful for the knock that was sounded from downstairs. I jumped up from the bed, seeing that Damon had gotten up from the bed too. We both walked down to the first floor in silence, apart from each other, keeping a good distance between us as we made our way off the final step. Damon remained by the post, as I grasped the door knob, pulling the door open after unlocking it – my gaze settled on Elena.

"Elena, I thought you were staying at the hospital with Jenna and Alaric." I blinked a few times to make sure that I was actually staring at Elena, and my mind was playing tricks on me.

"Change of plans." Elena moved swiftly passed me, walking into the house, looking around – as if expecting something out of place. I glanced at Damon, confused. There was a cold look in Damon's eyes, that matched the icy glaze of his light blue iris – he cautiously watched as Elena further entered the house, his jaw taut. I could see the muscles in his jaw were locked; what the hell was wrong with him?

"Is Jenna okay?" I asked quietly, closing the door.

"Yeah." She nodded.

Elena stopped in her tracks, sending a callous glare at Damon as she turned her body slightly – he instantly returned it, a look of arrogance crossing his face. He motioned to move toward her, never taking his eyes off Elena. It happened far too quickly for my human eyes to register. One minute, Damon was standing by the post, and then the next, his body was flung across the house into the living room. I watched his body topple over the couch, bringing the couch down to the hard wood floor with him. Nothing looked out of place, except for Damon and the couch, of course. Suddenly, Elena was standing directly in front of me, a sly grin formed on her glossy lips.

"We haven't officially met." Elena said, her eyes boring into mine. I opened my mouth to speak, confused by what she meant, but she cut me off before I could utter a single word. "My name is Katherine."

My jaw dropped. _This _was Katherine. But, she looked like Elena. Did my cousin have a split personality disorder, where she is one person at one minute during the day, and then the next, she is this vicious, callous _bitch _named Katherine? My eyes flickered to Damon, but he was still laying on the floor in the living room – I heard him groan as he knocked the couch away from his body. Katherine forced me to look at her again, grabbing my chin in her hand. I swallowed hard.

"I know me and you are going to get along _great_," Katherine –aka Elena— said charmingly, innocently.

"Bella? What's going on?" Jeremy's voice floated from upstairs. Katherine's hand dropped from my face, I looked at the staircase, and before I could say anything, I felt someone's hand smash against the side of my face: everything went black. Just moments before my eyes closed and I lost consciousness, I heard Katherine's voice, a replication of Elena's, as her eyes met mine for those few short seconds.

"This never happened." echoed through my ears; the dilation in her pupils completely expanded my mind, clouding it abruptly and pulling away the thoughts of anything that was Katherine related. Her face, was a blur in my memory, until it completely disappeared to a spot of nothing. And when my eyes opened again, only briefly for a moment to find Jeremy, Alice, and Damon standing over me, calling my name to see if I could hear them, before my eyes fell shut again – the last thing I remembered was being up in Jenna's room with Damon. It made no sense as to how I'd ended up on the couch in the living room.

But all would be explained once I managed to fully regain consciousness, hopefully.

* * *

**AN:** so what did you guys think? I thought it was time to bring in something from the show, I feel kinda bad that it was when Jenna stabbed herself, but I'm really eager to make the Masquerade episode into a chapter. I don't really have it figured it out, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. I wanna thank you guys for giving me fifty reviews and sixty four followers, as I put this chapter up now. It means a lot to me, you guys have no idea. I noticed that there were questions in the two of the most recent reviews, figured maybe that I'll answer them while brainstorming the next chapter.

**ali: **_i'm actually thinking of hitting that "New Story" button and making a third part to A New Life's Beginning. I hope you'll read it... I had no idea you were a fan of that story, thank you, actually, for reminding me about it. I've actually been putting that off for some time now, even though I've had several ideas about what to start off now that Tori and Beck are together, I wanna get into the Jasone and Jade relationship as well. But, all will happen, eventually. _

__**emeraldgirl6: **_I wasn't thinking properly when I was writing Charlie's note from Bella - she did not graduate, she is a senior in high school, as this is taking place during Eclipse, but in a different time line. I was in a rush, and actually forgot that Bella (and Alice, I feel the need to add since she'll show up a few times at the school in one or two chapters) did not graduate from high school in my story. Thank you, for pointing that out. _


	13. Unexpected

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen.**

I attempted in opening my eyes once more, what seemed like hours later.

Staring back at me once I managed to keep my heavy eyelids open, was a pair of gold eyes, a pair of brown eyes, and a pair of blue eyes. Groaning, I slowly sat up, my hand flying up to my cheek where it felt like I'd been slapped with the force of a MAC truck across my face, looking around at the small crowd that surrounded me. Alice immediately held out a hand, which I reluctantly grabbed, and my small friend helped me to my feet – I come to realize that I had been laying on the floor the whole time. Alice's hand brushed along my backside, making sure there was no filth or dust clinging to the fabric of my clothes, before stepping to beside Jeremy. The three of them examined e closely, as if scanning my stature for some kind of explanation – only, I didn't have any way of telling them how I'd ended up unconscious in the middle of the foyer.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?" Jeremy asked; he sounded genuinely worried. Anyone would be worried if they found someone laying on the floor, blacked out and having no memory of how they ended up in that position.

"Sure." I nodded slowly, rubbing my eyes. Jeremy gave a slight nod, walking into the kitchen to prepare me something to eat. Alice's hand clasped on my shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly, although I didn't know what for. I looked over at Damon, who awkwardly rifled his hand through his hair and followed after Jeremy into the kitchen to help get me something to eat.

"Here." Alice murmured, guiding me toward the couch; I sat down, watching as she sat with me. "Bella, what happened?" Alice mumbled.

"I—I don't know… I was up in Jenna's room, and Damon stopped by. Then I blacked out, and I wake up in the foyer." I bit my lip, knowing that I must sound crazy to Alice; I studied her face carefully as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before reopening them. "What are they saying?" I whispered.

Alice dropped her hand from my shoulder and sighed softly with a small smile. "Damon's saying how the Katherine girl came into the house, posing as Elena for a bit, and then she threw him into the living room."

My eyes widened. "I met Katherine? How did she pose as Elena?"

"I don't know." Alice shrugged.

"What are they saying now?" I murmured. Alice tapped by her ear, indicating that Damon was capable of hearing us talking – if he was, indeed, a vampire; but I still didn't have any proof nor did he own up to being a vampire. All I know, is that Caroline is one, and Alice thinks the Salvatore's are vampires.

"Damon said that Katherine had thrown him across the room, and then backhanded you. But that's all he remembers." Alice whispered lowly; I nodded again – but how could I not remember this? I think I'd know whether or not I was slapped, by someone who was pretending to be my cousin, which I was still a little uneasy on. I opened my mouth to speak again, but Alice silenced me with a warning look in her eyes. Before I could question, I heard the sound of Jeremy exiting the kitchen, holding a small silver tray of food for me to pick at and a glass of apple juice. I turned to smile at Jeremy, taking the platter from him and he instantly smiled back, swallowing hard as he turned his body away from me, marching back upstairs. I peered into the kitchen: Damon was gone. Alice and I were left downstairs alone, which was good – we didn't have a lurking vampire to eavesdrop like we'd done to him and Jeremy.

I placed the tray on my lap, picking up the apple and biting into it. It was obvious that Jeremy didn't know what to bring out for me, so he just took a smack at it, giving me whatever he thought I'd like from the kitchen. A juicy red apple being one of them. I chewed slowly, keeping my attention on Alice, as I tried remembering any details from what Damon had told Jeremy – but nothing came up. It was a massive blur smudged along my brain, there was some kind of blockage that disallowed me for knowing about Katherine's visit to the Gilbert house. I licked my lips, taking another bite from the apple, as we sat in silence. I'd offer Alice something to eat, but I knew that she'd filled up during her first and second hunt out in the woods behind the Gilbert's house. My thoughts went to Caroline, unexpectedly, and how frightened I'd been while in the presence of her vampire visage. The way Stefan had come to me, reminded me of Edward in so many ways, but I pushed those memories and lingering thoughts away as quickly as possible.

"Alice." I cleared my throat, remembering the school day.

"Yeah?" She blinked.

"Stefan had talked to me before and, um… He said there's this party at the Lockwood's." I swallowed hard, unsure of how to ask my best friend to go with me, I was incredibly curious as to what that evening would bring.

"I'd love to go. It gives me an opportunity to shop." Alice smiled brilliantly. "What kind of party?"

"A Masquerade." I bit my lip.

"Even better." Alice chimed.

"Wait..." I groaned. "This means I might have to _dance_."

"Suck it up, we're going." Alice giggled and pulled me into a tight embrace; I sighed and immediately returned the hug. I wasn't going to lack any fun in Alice's stay in Mystic Falls; she wouldn't be getting a lot of it anyway because of the sunlight.

-_xx_-

"Easy, grab the door Jer."

"Hey, stop fussing. I'm fine."

I went to my door to hear a familiar male and female's voice floating through the house, the moment I opened my eyes. I was relieved to know that Jenna was home by the time I woke up, which was a lot later than usual – around 12:30 PM. This was probably the latest I have ever woken up before, in my entire life. Just as I walked down the stairs, I come to see that Jenna is being brought into the house by Jeremy, Elena, and Matt Donovan. I hurried down the remaining steps, so I could be of assistance to them bring her into the living room; taking the bags from Matt, that way it was easier for Matt to help my cousins. Jenna was hunched, drooping as she let out a random blurt of laughter, clutching onto the three that were helping her walk.

"The doctors said you should take it easy." Elena said softly, I tossed the bag toward the couch.

"Yeah, you don't want to rip your stitches, hemorrhage, and die, alright?" Jeremy said as he helped Elena bring Jenna to the couch, they walked slowly – which was understandable. She must be in a lot of pain, and I could only imagine it was worse than having your leg broken, but not as bad as having vampire venom rapidly ripping its way through my veins until Edward sucked it out.

"Yeah, the only thing I'm going to die from is embarrassment." Jenna said; I enjoyed the light tone in her voice. I cracked a smile – I could relate, as I was brought to sophomore prom with a cast on my leg and I wore Converse with a blue dress that Alice had let me borrow for the evening.

"No." Matt said.

"I walked into a knife. How does somebody do that?" I could hear the embarrassment, and the confusion in Jenna's voice – that is exactly what I wanted to know. I mean, I'm pretty accident prone but I've never walked into a knife.

"It was a freak accident." Elena responded.

"It happens." Jeremy piped up.

"Yeah, I mean I've done it like twenty times at the Grill." Matt chimed in helpfully, I watched Jenna as she laughed and then winced in pain, Matt cracked a smile – proud that he'd made her laugh. "Okay, I'm being nice."

"Careful." Jeremy said as they started lowering Jenna onto the couch.

"Easy, easy." Matt murmured. Jenna was laid on the couch, resting comfortably, her hand immediately going to just above her stitches on her stomach. I took a step back, rubbing the back of my neck as I wondered where Alice had disappeared to – the nearly emptiness in the house reminded me that Alice wasn't around when I'd woken up. She was probably ducked out somewhere, or somehow made her way to the mall without her skin catching the sunlight on her way out, or in someone's car. She probably pulled another Grand Theft Auto, like she had done in Italy, since she didn't have her Porsche to accompany her on the road. "What should I do with this?"

"I got it." Elena said, Matt handed her the bag of food and she walked into the kitchen; Jeremy followed after her, while Matt stayed in here with me and Jenna. I sat down on the couch, carefully beside Jenna, giving her reassurance that it wasn't as bad as what I've gotten myself into – which was entirely true. My phone vibrated in my hoodie pocket that I'd fallen asleep in; I took it out and checked the message. It was from Alice. I bit my lip, opening up the message to read what she'd sent me.

**Alice: **_I went shopping! I got the cutest dresses for us to wear tonight. Ask Damon if we could get ready for the Masquerade at his house – I wanna scope him out, while we're there. Okay?_

I sighed heavily, my thumb nails tapping.

**Bella: **_No guarantee that Damon and Stefan will. But I'll see._

I slid my phone back into my pocket, standing up from the couch without jostling the cushions, waving slightly at Matt as I went upstairs to Jenna's room – now I definitely felt bad about sleeping in her room, but then again, I doubt she'd be able to make it up to the second floor, for a while, since she had her stitches and could barely make it through the front door without feeling pain. I closed the door behind me, taking my phone out again, ready to call Damon when I realized that I didn't even have a number to call in the first place. Hopefully Damon would do what he does best, and show up at the most inconveniently convenient times, and save me the trouble of asking Elena for his number – I could only imagine what she'd think if I had to ask.

-_xx_-

Even though we hadn't been able to get in touch with Damon, Alice and I still got ready for the Masquerade party at the Gilbert house, managing to be dressed, ready to go by the time it was seven o'clock. I discovered that Elena wasn't going to the party, because Stefan wasn't going to be there – but they'd been so cute during the school the day before, something I didn't get. Jeremy was going, which Jenna was happy about, it was nice for her to see Jeremy getting out of the house instead of going back to his old stoner self. Alaric wasn't going either, he was spending the evening with Jenna, for when she needed something, and just to be with his girlfriend. Alice had dolled herself in a plum colored Calvin Klein Ruched satin sheath strapless dress and black satin Brian Atwood peep toe stilettos; she'd even curled her short pixie hair so that it framed her face perfectly, bouncing with every step she took; donning a black metal laser cut Masquerade butterfly mask to fit in with the Masquerade. I was nothing compared to her, I felt entirely plain and invisible when we'd come downstairs to say goodbye to Alaric and Jenna, in my smoke-gray Adrianna Papell ruffle-edged three tier Iridescent chiffon strapless dress and black leather lace-up stiletto ankle boots. It didn't necessarily go, but I refused to wear something strappy and easy for me to fall or trip while walking in. I got the honor of wearing a black Luxury Laser Cut Masquerade Venetian mask; I admit that I looked nice, but I still hated wearing dresses. I was only doing this to give Alice fun in the duration of her stay, and this was the best thing I could think of since it was going on at night, in a big mansion – it would remind her of being back in Forks, I hope.

"I'll take good care of her, Alaric." Alice said with a promising, sparkly grin spread across her pixie-like face.

"Call me Ric, Alice. Oh, and, keep an eye on Jeremy while you're there?" Alaric asked, already treating Alice like she was a part of the family – the same way Charlie had done with Alice when he got to know her, a little better. It was hard not to love Alice, I didn't blame either of them.

"Of course, Ric." Alice smoothed down her dress slightly, nudging me playfully.

"I'll make sure Jer doesn't get into any trouble." I said helpfully.

"Have fun, girls." Alaric and Jenna said as we walked out of the house; Alice jingling a set of keys in her hand. We got into Jenna's car, a loan from Alaric for us to have a ride there and back, which meant there wouldn't be any drinking from me – as usual. I still didn't like the taste of alcohol, and I wasn't sure if Alice liked drinking or not, I'd never seen her drink before.

-_xx_-

It was surprisingly easy finding the Lockwood's mansion – it was hard to miss. It was one of the largest estates and was the nicest foreclosure in town, with the gravel driveway littered with cars that was in for valet. Alice parked the car, both of us rising out in sync, I grabbed onto the roof of the car so I didn't fall over, or onto my face. Alice almost laughed when she saw the look on my face; I growled at her and got my balance, tucking my hair behind my ear. I hadn't done much to my hair; I let it go down in its natural loose and tousled ringlets down my back.

"Ready?" Alice linked arms with me, and we walked up the steps before I could respond. I almost gasped when I saw the inside; it was vast and far more expensive than the Cullen house. "This is… _God_."

"I know." I stared, wide-eyed around the foyer of the mansion. I could hear the thumping music that echoed throughout the house off the high dome ceiling, and then pulsing from outside to a different beat. We snaked our way through the crowd, eventually making it out to the backyard, my eyes widened even more – if possible. The entire backyard was strewn with twinkly lights, streamers, and just about every other way to make this look fabulous. I almost felt bad for Tyler, for the fact he had to deal with this, pretty much every day of his life – especially when there was another event going on. The perks of being the son of the mayor.

I looked around for a familiar face, beginning to dance to the song that was playing with Alice, who kept a tight hold on me so I didn't fall over. My eyes flickered around as I saw people I recognized from school, but I wasn't friends with them, so I couldn't go over and introduce them to Alice – it would be too weird. I was more intrigued in finding out whether or not Damon would show up, and if Stefan would be coming, who would he bring as a date since Elena wasn't coming to the party. Alice could tell I was distracted, by my clumsy dancing – but that was nothing new for me; I was always a clumsy dancer and would end up stepping on her foot even if I was paying attention to what I was doing.

"Who are you looking for?" Alice asked, her voice had a slight quiver.

"Damon." I found no point in lying to her, she would know right away if I said _no one_. Alice laughed a little nervously and rolled her eyes at me, spinning me around. I tried not to trip on the heel, as I spun away from Alice, and then brought myself slowly back to her, stumbling as I made my way back towards her.

"Let's get something to drink." Alice said urgently, grabbing my hand and pulling me through the crowd toward the refreshment table.

I followed her, trying my best not to get the heels stuck in the grass or to slide on the dance floor, struggling to keep up with her rushed pace to get off the dance floor. I guess I was that bad of a dancer that she wanted to avoid anyone getting hurt, including myself. My eyes roamed around as we stood by the refreshments; Alice got both of us a glass of champagne that had been displayed on the table for the guests. I bit my lip, bringing the glass to my lips and taking a small sip – it hit my system quick, and I immediately didn't like the taste of it going down my throat, it left a disturbing after taste. But I couldn't help drinking more. I took a quick glance at Alice, and the expression on her face ultimately had me worried; I recognized it instantly.

"Alice, what did you see?" I whispered.

"I—I saw … I saw E—" she whispered back and swallowed hard, looking at me with a fierce look in her smoldering golden eyes. It told me that she was scared by what she'd foreseen; I bit my lip harder than I anticipated.

"What? You saw who?" I questioned softly.

"I'll be right back."

And then she was gone from my side, leaving me all alone.

I sighed heavily, beginning to snake my way through the crowded backyard, looking for someone I might know – perhaps Damon or Stefan. I would even be glad to see Caroline, and I was frightened of her, now that I knew there was some other kind of vampire that was amongst the humans in society. I sipped my champagne, tucking my hair constantly behind my ear as it continued falling in front of my face, trying to listen to the sounds of my stiletto boots clacking against the dance floor, but it was drowned out by the loud music. It was then that I noticed someone who looked strangely like Edward moving swiftly along the dance floor, but that was impossible, and then there was another, only I knew this time that it was Stefan. He looked dashing in the black tuxedo and the red Venetian mask, he was heading away from the dancers, my eyes followed him, and I saw that he was heading straight for. . . _Elena_?

I walked as quietly as I possibly could, going toward Stefan and Elena, wanting to know what they were talking about – but there was a feeling of uncertainty crawling along my skin, like I would regret eavesdropping. Nothing good ever came out of it, in the end, unless you were a spy or a vampire – not when you were a measly human who was so accident prone and bad luck was magnetized to you. I ducked amongst the other people around me, but keeping my head up just so I could continue watching after Stefan. Him and Elena were off to the side now.

"Dance with me." She said, demandingly.

"No." Stefan nearly scoffed.

"Fine, then tell me who I should kill." My eyes widened at her comment, and I gasped sharply – even though I didn't mean to. I was just taken off guard by what my cousin had told to her own boyfriend. I watched as Elena's eyes moved around the party, "Him? Hmm, she looks delicious." she picked up a strawberry and took a bite out of it, with a smirk plastered on her face. I heard Stefan sigh, but it was barely audible. Elena offered him her arm, and he reluctantly took it, she guided them onto the dance floor, I watched as they started slow dancing with each other. I moved after them, not wanting to lose them. "Beautiful night." Elena said, there was a different tone in her voice, and I couldn't help but look up – she was right. The moon was big and bright, the stars illuminated the deep hued blue/black sky. It clashed perfectly with the twinkly backyard of the Lockwood's mansion.

"Why the charade?" I heard Stefan ask.

"How's Jenna?" Elena asked – this confused me, she was the one to bring Jenna home earlier in the day. "I certainly didn't expect her to survive that. Lucky girl. Clumsy. How does one stab oneself?" I nearly laughed out loud – wasn't that what everyone was thinking? But Jenna was lucky to survive something like that.

"Katherine?" Stefan said gently. My eyes widened. _Katherine? _He was dancing with Elena. Didn't he know that? How could he confuse some psycho named Katherine with his girlfriend, who was standing directly in front of him.

"Uh?" Elena arched an eyebrow.

"I don't want anyone to get hurt tonight." Stefan's eyes flickered around the party, and I made sure to not be seen by the younger Salvatore, whilst I was also looking around to see if Damon would show up. He was nowhere in sight, this saddened me. I was looking forward to seeing him, especially now since Alice had ditched me for unknown reasons.

"Okay." Elena said with nonchalance rising in her voice. Then give me the moonstone and nobody will." My eyes narrowed. _What's a moonstone?_

"Well, you see." Stefan started out, "I don't have the moonstone on me. So, you and I will have to go get it together." I could hear the impatience in his voice – but it also sounded like there was something planned for Elena, or in Stefan's eyes: Katherine.

"Hmm. I have a better plan. You go fetch it and I will try not to kill anyone in the meantime." Elena demanded, and it sounded like she wasn't going to take no for an answer. But Stefan most likely thought otherwise, from what I could see where I was lurking.

"My way or you don't get it." Stefan almost growled. I watched as a girl around my age sauntered her way over toward Elena and Stefan, causing the two of them to break apart – I could barely hear what was being said, so I took a few steps closer, inhaling and exhaling through my nose – I watched them carefully.

"Het Stefan, I can't find Matt." The girl said, I could hear the frown in her voice. "Oh my god, Elena! You look so pretty. I love that dress. You look gorge." I recognized her from school; her name was Aimee. But that's all I knew about her, other than she looked really pretty in the dress she was wearing; but Elena looked better in her short strapless black dress and the black heels she'd paired with it; I loved the black Venetian mask too. Looks like her and Alice had shopped in the same places.

"Thank you." Elena smiled. "I love your necklace."

"Oh, thanks." Aimee smiled.

"Oh, it's twisted. Here, let me," Elena went to standing behind Aimee; her fingers were swift along the chain to untangle and untwist the necklace for Aimee. "here we go." I gasped out loud when I saw what Elena had done; I could hear the snap of Aimee's spine, and her body looked like she'd been electrocuted. "Paralyzed from the waist down." She snapped one more part of Aimee's spine, her body slumped in Elena's grasp. "And dead." She growled, throwing Aimee's body into Stefan's arms, who caught her quickly.

I turned on my heel, rushing my way through the crowd to get away from Elena and Stefan – I couldn't believe what I'd just seen. My cousin killed someone with her hands, by snapping their spine like it was a twig, while Stefan just stood there, as if there was nothing he could have done to stop Elena. My breathing caught in my throat, and my heart was pounding harshly inside of my chest – I felt like I was going to have a heart attack, from the amount of shock that coursed through me like an electric current. I stumbled as I forced my way through to the middle of the dance floor, where there was an open space, my hand slapped against my chest to feel the thumping of my heart through my skin. I almost screamed when I felt someone's hand place against my shoulder, my body jolted as I stood up straight, spinning and almost toppling over, but the person caught me. My eyes drifted up.

"You look like you saw a ghost." Damon chuckled; I sighed with relief – I was happy to see him, more than ever.

"Someth—something like that." I breathed heavily.

"What did—"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I interrupted, my eyes raking along the premises to see where Elena had drifted to. Stefan was nowhere in sight, either. I focused on Damon, tucking my hair nervously to one side, taking another deep breath as I gathered my thoughts.

"I'm in a rush; I've got something to do, but um… I'm glad I saw you tonight." A smile formed on Damon's lips, and my heart skipped a beat inside of my chest – so much for it returning back to normal, I could feel the heat radiating from his skin from how close we were standing.

"What do you have to do?" I asked.

"Not important." Damon shook his head, and then leaned down, pressing his lips lightly to mine. I gasped when I felt his warm, soft lips brush against mine. I was sad that he pulled away before I could return the kiss. "See you later?" He grinned; all I could do was nod. And just as fast as Alice, Damon was gone from my side, leaving me alone once more.

"Bella!" A female's frantic voice came through. I looked around, until my eyes finally settled on Alice – she was rushing toward me, but she still looked graceful. She was coming down the steps, dancing her way through the crowd graciously, even pushing people slightly out of her way until she finally reached me. "There you are!" she pretended to be out of breath, for the sake of her _humanity_ to make it seem like she had been in a rush, for those around us.

"Where'd you go?" I groaned, but I was also thankful she was back – I was no longer alone. My heart was racing inside of my chest; I couldn't wait to tell her what I'd seen between Stefan and Elena. Maybe she'd have an explanation as to what the hell happened. Before Alice could respond, it was then that I realized someone had been walking after her, but keeping their distance. My eyes swept along, taking in the chalky black tuxedo and the silk black tie, it contrasted with the smooth ivory skin. His lips were redder than I remembered, and there was an apologetic look in his butterscotch eyes. His reddish-brown bronze hair was untidy, as usual. I noticed that there was a bouquet of red roses in his left hand. I swallowed hard, as my mind finally registered _who _was standing before me.

I pushed him away, stepping back, glowering at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Bella." He said softly – his voice was like satin, or velvet. I could hear the hurt in his voice. But it didn't melt away the abrupt anger I felt. I'd almost forgotten how alluring his voice was to the mere human ear, how attractive he was – but it all washed away when I remembered what brought everything to where it was now. He had taken my hand, bringing me close, so there was no gap between us. No words were spoken, but I noticed that his face was getting closer to mine – this was wrong. This couldn't happen. I moved my gaze to Alice, but once again, she'd disappeared, leaving me alone.

With _Edward Cullen_.

* * *

**AN: **I'm cutting this chapter in two parts. The next part will be Bella talking with Edward, and then it's going to the scene with Katherine, Stefan, and Damon: I really like that part in the episode. But there's going to be _another _character from Twilight showing up, but only for a short amount of time, I don't know if this specific person is going to show up in another chapter or not, I haven't decided.

but, what do you think? Give me your thoughts!

In case I don't get another chapter up:  
Happy New Year, Everyone! XOXO.


	14. The Masquerade

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen.**

And just as fast as Alice, Damon was gone from my side, leaving me alone once more.

"Bella!" A female's frantic voice came through. I looked around, until my eyes finally settled on Alice – she was rushing toward me, but she still looked graceful. She was coming down the steps, dancing her way through the crowd graciously, even pushing people slightly out of her way until she finally reached me. "There you are!" she pretended to be out of breath, for the sake of her _humanity_ to make it seem like she had been in a rush, for those around us.

"Where'd you go?" I groaned, but I was also thankful she was back – I was no longer alone. My heart was racing inside of my chest; I couldn't wait to tell her what I'd seen between Stefan and Elena. Maybe she'd have an explanation as to what the hell happened. Before Alice could respond, it was then that I realized someone had been walking after her, but keeping their distance. My eyes swept along, taking in the chalky black tuxedo and the silk black tie, it contrasted with the smooth ivory skin. His lips were redder than I remembered, and there was an apologetic look in his butterscotch eyes. His reddish-brown bronze hair was untidy, as usual. I noticed that there was a bouquet of red roses in his left hand. I swallowed hard, as my mind finally registered _who _was standing before me.

I pushed him away, stepping back, glowering at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Bella." He said softly – his voice was like satin, or velvet. I could hear the hurt in his voice. But it didn't melt away the abrupt anger I felt. I'd almost forgotten how alluring his voice was to the mere human ear, how attractive he was – but it all washed away when I remembered what brought everything to where it was now. He had taken my hand, bringing me close, so there was no gap between us. No words were spoken, but I noticed that his face was getting closer to mine – this was wrong. This couldn't happen. I moved my gaze to Alice, but once again, she'd disappeared, leaving me alone.

With _Edward Cullen_.

I let my eyes drift back to Edward, my mind doing wonders as I thought of something to say to him. He looked so different from the last time I'd seen him, but then again, the last time I _had _seen him, he was naked and in bed with Rosalie. Suddenly, I felt like I was dry-swallowing a pill, and my body went cold like ice had been injected into my veins – I had told myself over and over that I never wanted to see or talk to him again. He studied me carefully, and I could only clench my jaw, I could feel the muscles tightening as I hardened my gaze, glowering at him. His golden eyes smoldered, he looked me up and down, I watched as his eyebrow cocked up slightly – he was giving me a good look, and from the darkness that flooded the topaz iris, I could tell he liked the sight of me in a dress. It would have made me shudder, if I didn't feel so foreign under my own skin – I hadn't felt like this since I left Forks: leave it to Edward Cullen to bring me right back to that indecent feeling.

"Why did you do it?" I found myself whispering meekly. I could feel the hot prickling tears surfacing, as I made myself look at him, for I feared the answer. But it's been something I've always wanted to know, since I left Forks. No, since I left the Cullen house. I wanted to know what I did wrong, what I did that drove him to having sex with Rosalie; in hers and Emmett's bedroom while the rest of the family was out hunting.

Edward stared at me; there was a solemn look in his eyes, as he thought over the endless reasons he probably conjured for why he had cheated on me. His Adam's apple bobbed, and then he swallowed hard; I watched him carefully as I waited patiently for a response. And patience wasn't in my virtue. "I-" Edward's golden eyes flickered in different directions, looking anywhere but at me, until a few moments had passed. His gaze settled. "I don't know, Bella. I... I was_stupid_, a—and opportunity just presented itself, I wasn't_thinking_... Bella, I—I'm so sorry, I never meant for _any_ of it to happen."

I stared at him longingly, "what do you mean _presented itself_?"

Edward took a slight breath, chewing softly on his bottom lip, and then releasing the slab of skin from between his teeth. "I went into Rosalie's room, and she was just sitting there, at the vanity brushing her hair. She looked like something was bothering her, so I consulted her about it, and – and when she stood up… that's—that's when I saw, she was wearing very little amount of clothes under the silk robe that she covered with. I—I just… I was… It—it was … I just ducked in and kissed her. She pushed me away at first, but I used my gift to use that against her, telling her that her thoughts were telling me differently on how she didn't want me. It was evidently tr—true. I—I'm sorry. I wish—I wish I hadn't walked into her room."

"It doesn't make this any better, Edward. Telling me you're sorry and wishing you hadn't done what you did…" I softly informed.

"Bella, I love you more than my own life. I would do anything for you, you know that. What I did was reckless and stupid, it didn't feel like I was in my own body – I felt distant from my skin, bones, and muscles. I felt like it wasn't even me that was doing those provocative things to Rosalie. I am so sorry, more than I could begin to explain, more than you'd ever come to know. Bella, you are my life. I want to marry you, I always will love you." Edward had stepped closer to me, gingerly placing a hand on my hip, and tipping my head up so that he was looking into my eyes.

"Edward, I—"

"I miss you, Bella. School isn't the same without you, and Jessica keeps trying to hone in on me." I watched as a smile gently quirked his lips and I cracked a smile in return – so my prediction had been correct. "Charlie is a mess, he misses you so much, Esme wants you back, and so does Emmett. Jacob hasn't been heard from, except Sam."

"Where are you—"

"Bella, what I'm trying to say is… Please come home." I looked into his eyes, searching for any sign that this was a set up – but I couldn't find any. He was the most honest man that I knew, except when it came to his mortality, which was definitely something he had to hide – he didn't have a choice.

I opened my mouth to respond, there was a part of me that wanted to accept his invitation. But nothing was going to be the same, I couldn't go running back into Edward's arms, there would be this gap in my heart that wouldn't allow me to trust him as much as I used to. Yes, I missed my friends back home – but what about the life I'd created here? Thing were better for me, and I no longer felt like a stranger in my own home, things were warming and welcoming.

"I can't go with you, Edward. I'm sorry. I've got a life here now, and I can't throw that away when things are so good – and things wouldn't be able to go back to the way things were, if I did decide to go back to Washington with you." I said, watching him carefully.

"I know that, but—"

"I'm happy, Edward." I interrupted quickly, knowing that my happiness was his main priority – ever since he'd met me, nothing mattered more to him than safety and my happiness, which was more leverage. "And, I'm safer here than in Forks – there is no Victoria, and she won't be able to find me, if I stay here." I swallowed hard, and silently prayed that this was some way to make him see that it was better for me to be in Virginia. Surely, he would understand. And it wasn't hard for me to win something against him, considering how there was an undying love for me, that nestled in his heart despite what he'd done.

"Perhaps you're right." Edward muttered, not even taking a second to think it over.

I struggled to prevent the smile from forming on my face; I didn't necessarily want him to know that I was elated. And then my heart skipped a few beats; as my thoughts drifted to Damon . . . was _he_ the reason I really wanted to stay? Suddenly, I started to panic; I didn't want Edward to find out about Damon. My heart started racing inside of my chest, and my pulse quickened in fear at what he'd think of Damon – he would know about how I felt like I had this strong connection to Damon and my opinion on his self-righteous attitude. I thought of the way Damon had kissed me, just moments before Edward and Alice appeared which only accelerated my heart. Had he _seen_? Was this part of the reason why he wanted me to go back to Forks, so I didn't have a shot with Damon? Did he know Damon; think he was too dangerous for me, more than_ he_ thought of himself?

I studied him, my heart abruptly going back to its regular staccato rhythm as I remembered that Edward _couldn't _read _my _mind. As we stood here, in the middle of the Masquerade thrown by the Lockwood's, on the dance floor, I was completely and utterly safe – he wouldn't find out about Damon, at least from my mind. There could be possibilities coming from the wondrous minds that belonged to people who attended Mystic Falls High School, but that's about it. He would only trust my mind, and if someone in my school had a thought about me, he would immediately confront me about it, asking if it was true – since he knows how much of a terrible liar I am.

"You're not wearing the ring…" Edward's sullen voice trailed, my eyes flickered to his – he was staring directly at my hand, the hand that displayed the ring I'd gotten from Damon for Christmas, the same hand that no longer presented his mother's ring, which was back at the Gilbert house tucked safely away in my Grandmother's jewelry box I'd uncovered once I unpacked the valuable possessions I'd thought of bringing with me to Mystic Falls.

"I didn't want to—"

"Be reminded of me?" he inquired cautiously.

I shook my head slowly, that was the last thing that would ever cross my mind – in fact I had kept the ring on as a motivation to be as far away from Forks was possible. I kept it on mind, to keep him and what he'd done in mind, for the short two days that I was in Mystic Falls, before receiving the ring from Damon. Slowly, I raised my hand a little for him to get a better view of the ring silver and blue ring that was on my index finger.

"Where did you get it from? Is it from a new boyfriend?" He asked.

My pulse and heart skyrocketed. "No." I answered almost too quickly, swallowing hard.

"Then who is it from?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"Elena." I said, biting my lip – but I kept our eyes locked, tearing my gaze away would immediately lead him to suspect that I was lying to him. But my answer was technically true, since Damon wasn't my boyfriend, I just didn't want Edward knowing about him – and Elena was the first person I could think of.

"May I look at it?" His gaze softened.

"Sure." I slid it from my finger and held it out to him. Edward held his hand under mine, and I dropped it into his palm – my eyes widened as I saw that a kind of ash-like smoke rose from his hand, and it looked like as if he was being burned. Edward's reaction took some time, but when he noticed what was happening, he muttered "_shit_!" under his breath, accidentally dropping it to the ground. I narrowed my eyes, staring at the ring on the ground, unsure of how to respond to that – I'd never seen anything like that happen before. I looked at him for a few moments longer, before kneeling down and sliding the ring back onto my finger as I stood up, facing him again. I held my hand to eye-level, turning my hand over and over again, but I could see that there was absolutely nothing wrong with it – how come it didn't burn me? The look on Edward's face told me that he was just as confused about what happened, as I am.

He blinked a few times; it was silent between us for a few moments as he thought of what to say next to me, taking a deep breath. "Come take a walk with me," he insisted as he held a hand out to me. My memory instantly flashed back to when he'd left me, right after the incident with Jasper at the Back To School party, and I swallowed hard – but there wasn't anything else that could possibly effect me, that he would do. I could see it in his eyes, that there was a lot that needed to be said: and I agreed.

"Okay." I nodded slowly, placing my hand with Edward's.

He laced our fingers intertwined, dropping our hands between us as he guided me away from the dance floor, weaving our way through the crowd, stepping onto the grass –_thanks_, I thought to myself as I leaned on my tiptoes as I started walking with him, not wanting the heels of my boots to get stuck in the grass like I'd seen a few people earlier in the night, that was my biggest fear – I didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of the citizens of Mystic Falls. I walked carefully in step with him, leaning my head against his shoulder, as my eyes flickered around the twinkly scenery, wondering where he could possibly be taking me for our private talk. Nothing was said between us, and as much as I didn't want to believe – this was comfortable, it felt right between us, and instantly, I knew something good was going to happen from this talk between Edward and me.

It wasn't before long that we arrived near the lake that was in the back of the Lockwood's house – God, did they have a lot of property, maybe even more than the Cullen's, it was a huge piece of land. I looked up at Edward, and I could see that he was sort of smiling as he brought me toward the single backless bench that was close to the water's edge. I moved away from him, unlacing our fingers, and taking a seat on the bench, crossing one leg over the other, and putting my hands in my lap. He reluctantly took the space beside me, looking torn between draping an arm around me or not. I didn't really care, at this point. I took my gaze away from him, looking out toward the glistening midnight colored water that reflected the brilliant waxing half moon that shone in the clear, starry sky as I waited for him to speak – but I wanted to say something first, because there was a part of me that told me he wasn't entirely giving up on bringing me back to Forks by the end of the night.

"Before you say anything, Edward, there is something that I want to tell you." I said, my eyes staying fixed on the lake. I felt his arm weigh down on my shoulders, and squeezing my farthest shoulder lightly, I almost smiled.

"Love, I don't want you to hold back." He murmured.

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "I love you, but I—I can't be with you. I'm sure that you understand why, there is absolutely no trust after what you did. I will always love you, no matter what – but not in the same way I did, before everything happened. I—I just can't see myself dating you now, after we talked this all out, and I—I'm sorry, you have no idea how sorry I am that—"

"Bella, I understand." He interrupted softly, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

I continued, "I know there's someone else you there that can accept you for who you really are, as I did – someone who is better than I am."

"There's no one else out there like you, you are perfection – you are my world. But I respect your decision, and I'm going to let you go, because I know I won't be able to change your stubborn mind. You have yourself set – you know all I want for you is to be happy and safe, Bella. This is doing both." Edward said.

I couldn't help but look at him, not understanding. "What do you mean?" Edward reached into his back pocket; I tensed up immediately – last time he'd done that, there had been a black velvet box that was captive in his possession that presented me with his mother's ring. But I knew that this wasn't going to be like last time, or at least I sincerely, deeply hoped so. I let out a sigh of relief when I saw that it was only the leather wallet I'd gotten him for his birthday that he pulled out, thus watching him carefully.

"Here," Edward pulled out more than enough dollar bills, my eyes widened to see that they were in _hundreds_. He held it out toward me, keeping his eyes fixed on mine, intensely. "It's closely over three thousand dollars, I'm not sure it's enough, but Alice will surely pitch in, knowing her."

"Edward, wh—what are you—"

"Just take it, Bella." He urged, never taking his eyes off mine, a hardening gaze layering in his golden eyes.

"No." I shook my head.

"Bella, just please," Edward solemnly said, "take the money."

"What is it for?" I inquired.

"Alice was thinking of buying a place to stay here, for the both of you. So I'm giving you money that way she doesn't end up paying for the whole place, I didn't want you to know – Alice was going to surprise you." Edward bit his lip, hoping I'd understand. "Just know that I'm not going to stop telling you to take the money, you won't leave here until you take this money."

I rolled my eyes at the playful smile that quirked his lips. "You can't be serious, Edward."

"Yes, I am." He continued to smile, I watched as it molded into that famous, dazzlingly delicious crooked smile that I'd fallen in love with – and I swallowed hard, the playful mood dissolving quickly. It was hard to say no to that smile, which led me to nodding at him in defeat, taking the money from him and carefully tucking it safely in the clutch that Alice had let me borrow for the evening.

"Thank you." I whispered.

Edward stood up, tipping my head up and placing his lips softly on mine as if telling me _you're welcome_ to me without actually saying it. I refused to kiss him back – but we both understood that this was the last kiss, the goodbye kiss, for now or maybe forever. He slowly pulled away from me and turned on his heel to walk away, probably wanting to get on the next flight out of Virginia before it got too late. I stood up as well, smoothing down my dress and adjusting the strapless bra that I wore, as it was slouching down to no longer be on my breasts.

"And Bella?" His familiar voice crooned.

I looked up at him, "Yes?"

"I know this won't matter much to you, but. . . I—I don't trust Damon. I hope that you'll stay away from him, but—but I know that it's your choice." Edward said strongly, meeting my gaze once more, only he was the one to look away this time, fleeing from the party scene before I could respond. I shook my head, gathering my thoughts and regaining posture, tightening my grip on the clutch as I headed back toward the party, wondering how Edward knew about Damon even though I hadn't said anything about him the entire time, looking around for Alice, Matt, or even Caroline; someone that I knew so I wasn't completely alone _again_.

* * *

**Damon's Point of View**

I glowered at Katherine as she continued holding the stake in hand that had been stabbed into her arm and back, whilst my brother and I were unknowingly harming Elena, who was down with Jeremy and Bonnie. She was sitting on the couch that was placed in the middle of the room, I was standing by the door, my hand lifted as I tried to pointlessly push my arm through the vampire barrier we had Bonnie use from Emily's grimoir with a spell that was used on the tomb – a place that Katherine deserved to be in after all the shit that she'd done since her arrival back in Mystic Falls, while Stefan was standing around on the other side of the room – as far away from Katherine as possible, not that I blamed him.

"The three of us, together just like old times." Katherine voiced, breaking the silence – I could feel her gaze burning into my back, "The brother who loved me too much," her attention flickered away from me, "And the one that didn't love me enough."

I smirked, continuing to try to push my hand through then dropping it to my side. "And the evil slut vampire who only loved herself."

"What happened to you? You used to be so sweet and polite."

I turned to face her. "Oh, that Damon died a long time ago."

"Good," she smirked at me. "He was a bore."

"Oh, why don't you two stop antagonizing each other?" My brother asked, finally saying something ever since Jeremy alerted us that we were hurting Elena, every time we hurt Katherine – this took us by surprise, but not completely, since this was Katherine we were talking about and she always appeared one step ahead of us.

"Where is this moonstone?" Katherine asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you want with it?" Stefan countered.

"Does Elena enjoy having both of you worship at her alter?" There was a sound of displeasure curdling in Katherine's voice, Stefan looked at me, and then his eyes flickered to Katherine.

"That was really desperate, Katherine. Don't you think that we can see right through you?" Stefan avoided answering the question, as I kept my mouth shut.

"So it doesn't bother you that Damon's in love with your girlfriend?" Katherine inquired.

"Oh, stop it." Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Or what? You'll hurt me?" She gets up from the couch, clacking her way slowly toward my younger brother. "Come on, Stefan. Everything that I feel, Elena feels, so go ahead." The evil bitch looked at me, "Or better yet, kiss me Damon. She'll feel that too." I sighed and rolled my eyes – of course Katherine was going to use that against me, only she was completely and utterly wrong, disproven, about my supposed feelings that were projected toward Elena.

"You know, this whole Mason thing has me a bit confused. Why a werewolf? The moonstone can break a curse that would help them destroy all vampires, so what's in it for you?" Stefan kept his attention on Katherine, I could hear the confusion in his voice – not that I blamed him, I was taken aback when I found out that Mason Lockwood was in cahoots with Katherine when he'd come to Mystic Falls.

I decided to voice myself, a smirk plastered. "Sorry about your pet wolf, probably should have kept him on a tighter leash."

"I'll have to remember that for next time." Katherine almost growled. "He's not the only wolf in town."

No one said anything after that, I turned away from Katherine, raking my fingers through my hair as I pushed the strands away from my face, taking a deep breath – but it was hard to be calm around Katherine, she was manipulative and severely irritating. I ground my teeth together, standing at the opened doorway with my glass of scotch in hand, "Damn it, where is that witch?"

Katherine could be heard walking around the room. "We could play charades."

I glanced at Stefan then back at the door; he looked as if he was in deep thought. Suddenly, he brought his hand away from his mouth and pointed a finger at Katherine. "You bargained the moonstone."

I jerked my head a little, turning to face my brother. "What are you mumbling about over there?"

Katherine continued walking around the room that we were trapped in, tapping the end of the stake against her fingertips. "When you struck a deal with George Lockwood, to help you fake your death, you told me that you gave George something that he needed. It was the moonstone, wasn't it?" Stefan started using his hand and dabbing it slightly at the air.

Katherine had walked away from the couch, having her back to my brother for a moment, "Good for you, Stefan. 2 + 2…" she turned to face him again. "and it would have worked except that people found out that I wasn't in the tomb." She immediately looked over at me, "Thanks to you, by the way." I raised my glass at her and sipped it. "Have I mentioned how inconvenient your obsession with me as been?"

"You and me both, honey." I mumbled before sipping more of my scotch.

Stefan cocked his head. "Why do you need it back?"

"I love you in a suit, so dashing." Katherine slowly made her way toward Stefan again.

"What were you doing with it in the first place?" My brother refused to be taken in by her supposed charms that we both fell for back in 1864.

I rolled my eyes and moved my hand around a little, the ice clinking against my glass. "You're wasting your breath, Stefan."

Stefan raised the hand again, pointing at Katherine. "Unless it wasn't yours to begin with." Katherine played with the stake, refusing to look at him. "In 1864 you faked your death. Who were you running from, Katherine?"

She looked up at him, "In 1987 you were in Chicago, at a concert of all places with that wench, Lexi." She started walking toward him again, I watched as his expression changed. "Come on Stefan, don't look so surprised…. Of course I checked in on you over the years." She took a slight breath, she was studying Stefan just as carefully as I was. "You were standing in the front row, dancing all night. You were watching Bon Jovi," I didn't want to hear this shit, so I reluctantly turned my head from them. "and I was watching you."

Stefan quickly recovered. "Who were you running from?"

Katherine didn't say anything, as I figured she was either being quiet or mouthing something to him that she didn't want me hearing – not that I gave a shit what she said, I hated the bitch anyway. I sighed heavily and walked toward the table that displayed the different variety of alcohol and the tumbler glasses that were also provided, a small bucket of glass conveniently there for whoever. Katherine stood at the window closest to me, peering through the curtains. "We're missing the party." I started pouring myself a glass of scotch. "I'll have one of those."

I mimicked the voice of a servant boy as I poured a second glass of scotch. "Right away Miss Katherine." I handed it to her, giving her a nasty scowl.

"Thank you." She said, feigning politeness as she took the drink from me while walking from where she stood, bringing it to her lips and taking a small sip. I grabbed her other arm, pushing her hard against the wall and snatching the stake from her, readying myself to drive it through her heart, the glass slipping from her hand and crashing to the ground; scotch and glass shards scattered everywhere at our feet – I'd been waiting so long for this moment, but Stefan's arm caught mien before it could plunge through her chest, shouting, "No, no! Damon, don't!" as he tried pulling my arm away from Katherine.

"Yes, Damon, please." Katherine mocked.

I stared into her eyes, the stake hovered over where I had planned to pierce, my hand trying to jerk free as Stefan tightened his grip. "The second the spell is lifted, I'm gonna drive a stake right through your heart."

Katherine looked at me, her red lips alluring to any mere male aside myself and Stefan. "God, you're hot. When did you get so hot?" I stepped away from Katherine as Stefan released my arm from his grasp, Katherine walked away from us. I growled at her, but everything was interrupted as we heard someone arriving – a woman who looked African American, but not quite, arrived wearing a black dress that was almost similar to Katherine's. She was holding the moonstone in hand, waving it around callously.

"Katherine, the spell on this room has been broken," she started walking into the room. "You're free to leave."

Katherine jerked away from Stefan. "Thank God," she looked at my brother for a moment as she walked toward the woman.

"When I hand this over my debt to you is over." The woman said, holding it out for Katherine to take.

"Done." She said sweetly.

"I owe you nothing." She reminded Katherine.

"I said done. Give it." Katherine sneered.

"I wouldn't do that." I called, ready to take the moonstone. The woman made a slight noise, handing over the moonstone to Katherine – we all watched as Katherine started gasping for air when the moonstone was placed in her palm. "You should have told me another witch was involved. She's a Bennett witch, Katherine, but I'm sure you knew that." Katherine starts slowly making her way to the ground, continuing to gasp for air.

"Wait, Elena!" Stefan started walking toward them.

"Elena's fine." The woman insisted; Katherine fell to the floor. "The spell is broken. She'll heal quickly, Bonnie's with her." Katherine was still gasping for air, as the moonstone slid from her hand as she lay on the floor, "I apologize for my involvement."

By the time the woman left, Katherine had become unconscious before us – thankfully no one had passed by to see what happened in this room, but then again, everyone else was enjoying their time at the party. We may not have driven a stake through Katherine's heart, but this was better than nothing. I had a plan for her, anyway – something that gave us almost just enough triumph to pass off for killing Katherine Pierce.

I stayed behind in the room as Stefan left to go talk to Elena; I'm sure they had a lot to talk about.

* * *

**Bella's Point of View**

It took forever, but I finally managed to find Elena. She was heading toward the parking lot, rubbing her arms – I noticed that she was in a different outfit from the black dress I'd seen. Either Katherine really did look like Elena, or she was just really good at changing out of her outfits. I took a deep breath, walking toward her. The entire time I was looking for someone to talk to, I realized that I need to speak with Elena about my . . . suspicion with the Salvatore's; I was desperate to know whether or not they were truly vampires like Caroline, and the Cullen's. Maybe she'd be able to tell me how come they were so different; after all I was sure that could trust her with their secret. When I got closer to Elena, I saw that there was blood on her back and arm; I swallowed hard – what happened to her? I swallowed hard, taking a quick breath – Elena caught my gaze, and stopped walking, a slight smile forming.

"Hey Bella." She whispered.

"I thought you weren't coming." I muttered.

"Long story – kind of got roped." She responded, shrugging her shoulders.

I nodded slowly. "Elena, can—can I talk to you about something?"

She watched me carefully, licking her lips. My cousin looked a bit distraught, as if something happened that she didn't want to share, or wish never happened, but she answered me anyway. "Of course. Anything."

"This may sound crazy, but, I—I was talking to Alice and she has this c—crazy assumption that the Salvatore brothers are—are—" I didn't understand why I was so nervous, I'd rehearsed this in my head a million times while I was searching for my cousin. How come this was so hard now, now that I was face-to-face with her?

"What are you trying to say, Bella? Alice thinks they are what?" Elena raised an eyebrow, biting down softly on her lower lip cautiously.

"Vampires." I whispered, my eyes remaining on her – I watched as her expression changed. There was no sign of shock, only caution. I swallowed hard; this proved that she was right. I already knew about Caroline, I'd seen it firsthand that she was no longer human, but maybe there was humanity left in her – she would have killed me right away if there wasn't. We both looked at each other, my eyes intensely boring into hers, as I waited for an answer, and the longer I waited, the surer I was about Alice saying Damon and Stefan were also vampires.

I took a step back from her, as her phone started ringing; she gave me a look and walked away from me, stepping into the parking lot. I sighed heavily, looking around to see whether or not I could find Damon before he left the party – but there was no sign of him anywhere. I bit my lip, walking off in the opposite direction from Elena, rubbing the back of my neck – not only did I want to find Damon, but I also wanted to know where Alice ran off to so we could go back home. I looked briefly over my shoulder, only to find that Elena was no longer in the parking lot, which made me feel a little uneasy . . .

Did Alice lie when I asked about Elena being a vampire, for my protection?


	15. Deeper and Deeper You Fall

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen.**

I didn't sleep the entire night, I had far too much on my mind.

My thoughts were clouded – all I could think about was my conversation with Edward, I almost wanted to believe that it was too good to be true, that he wasn't going to let me go so easily; only he did. As far as I knew, Edward had gotten on the next flight out of Virginia back to Washington, but what really crawled under my skin was his warning about Damon: it didn't make sense, and I honestly had no clue how he knew about the elder Salvatore, because I know it's not from my mind that he picked through. But while laying on my bed, I couldn't stop looking over at where I'd placed the clutch, where the money from Edward was nestled – it made me feel a little uneasy, at first, until he told me what Alice's plan was. Did this mean that she was planning to stay in Mystic Falls, with me? Was she going to leave behind the life of Forks as I'd done, for my saf — Alice didn't come here just because of what happened with Damon, I realized late in the night. It caused me to sit up on the bed, glancing toward the window, where I almost expected Damon to appear, or even Alice. I needed someone to talk to about this. My suspicion rose when I thought of how quick my friend had been to get to Mystic Falls, because no matter how good of friends you are, no one jumps at the first opportunity to leave behind their family for someone they knew for a little over a year.

I climbed out of bed an hour or two before daybreak, creaking my door open and heading downstairs – I saw that Jenna was still asleep on the couch, I smiled a little to see that Alaric's arms were securely and protectively around her while they slumbered on the sofa. The fireplace had a dim glow of the lone flickering flame that was left burning on the logs, which made it all seem so romantic for my Aunt and her boyfriend. For some reason, I imagined myself sitting there –without the stitches in my stomach, of course, but knowing me I would most likely at one point– with Damon; I knew it was silly because he didn't seem like that kind of person, but this man seemed to consume my thoughts and fantasies whether I liked it or not.

I tiptoed my way into the kitchen, half expecting to find Elena sitting at the island counter, drinking a cup of tea – but she was not here. I opened the cabinet, pulling out a box of Cocoa Rice Krispies and a bowl, pouring it with the milk, and snatching a spoon from the drawer close to the sink. I hopped up onto the bar stool, stirring the cereal around in my bowl as I stared at the granite counter top, kicking one leg lightly back and forth – I wasn't done thinking about what happened tonight. But my main concern, was that Elena had confirmed Alice's statement about Stefan and Damon being vampires. Could this really be happening? Did I seriously begin to develop feelings for _another _vampire? I guess I just attracted the Supernatural, considering I made friends with several vampires and a werewolf. All that's missing was a witch.

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard the shuffling of someone's feet against the hard wood floor as they crept into the kitchen; I turned my head to see that it was Jeremy who'd come downstairs – he looked disheveled, and overly tired – long night, I presumed, just like the rest of us. Jeremy glanced at me, rubbing his eyes childishly, as he went to the fridge for, most likely, something to drink. He didn't acknowledge me, at first. He pulled out the carton of apple juice, grabbing a glass from the drain board, and pouring it half way, before putting the bottle back on the shelf in the fridge. He brought the glass to his lips, turning away from the fridge so that he was facing me; neither of us said anything, I ate my cereal and he drank his juice in silence, looking at each other.

"What're you doing up?" He was the one to break the silence, even though I was kind of enjoying it.

"I never went to sleep." I smiled a little as I shoveled another spoonful into my mouth, milk dribbling down my chin.

He chuckled with amusement. "I guess that makes two of us."

"Is Elena asleep?" I asked, having the need to talk to her.

"I think she spent the night at Stefan's; she wasn't in her room when I came back from dropping Bonnie off at her house." Jeremy gave a slight shrug as he swallowed back the rest of his apple juice. I nodded slowly, continuing to eat my cereal as the silence fell over us again, unsure of what to say next – it made sense as to Elena's sudden disappearance after I talked to her at the Lockwood's. Stefan most likely pulled up in his car, and Elena got in, thus them driving back to the Boarding House; I guess I would have to ask Damon later, so I could give my cousin an alibi, in case Jenna wasn't too keen on it all. But I'm sure she was. Jeremy didn't say anything as he placed the glass in the sink, then walked out without another glance in my direction; I finished up my cereal and washed out the bowl, putting it in the drain board on my way out of the kitchen, and heading back up to my (Jenna's) room.

I dropped back onto the bed, abruptly tired, collapsing against the mattress with my face buried in the pillows. I grabbed at the comforter, struggling to bring it over my shivering body, pulling it over my head – I wanted to get as much sleep as I could before the sun came up. My eyes drifted to where I had my phone charging, I noticed that it was blinking with a notification; but I left it, knowing I should just check it in the morning. My eyes fluttered closed, my body shut down as I drifted asleep, quicker than I thought I would – I guess I was more tired than I expected, I just didn't realize or acknowledge it.

I felt someone shaking me, trying to get me awake, struggling to gather my attention – it didn't take long for my eyes to finally open, tired of this person. I groaned, turning slightly as I swatted their hand away from my side, sitting up slowly on the bed, and rubbing my eyes – with blurred vision, I couldn't make out who was standing beside the bed, I couldn't make out their outline, not even an eye color. Shortly after, everything started becoming clear: I was shocked to find that Damon was standing there. He was good at this, and it gave me a perfect opportunity to tell him I knew that he was a vampire, but before I could utter a word, Damon was scooping up articles of clothing, as he rounded the room.

"Get dressed," He commanded as he tossed the clothes at the foot of the bed, refusing to look over at me again as he went around to find something – a pair of pants for me to wear, I noticed that he'd only thrown a plum-colored long sleeve shirt and a white tank top to my bed, and most likely leaving the underwear for myself to find.

"What's going on?" I asked, grabbing the two shirts from the foot of my bed, bringing my legs close as I sat up a little more.

"We're going to the Boarding House." He said simply, standing at the foot of the bed now. Reluctantly, I nodded as I pulled off the T-shirt I'd worn to bed.

"Are you going to get out?" I sneered as I held the shirt to my chest, when I realized that I wasn't wearing a bra or tank top underneath.

A smirk had quirked Damon's lips, as he cocked an eyebrow at me. "If I see something that I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it."

"Perv." I felt my cheeks rush with heat, turning a bright crimson. I watched Damon carefully, and he didn't find any shame in standing there, which brought me to wondering how many woman he'd seen, well, naked.

"Just hurry, Bella." Damon rolled his eyes – but he was still smirking.

"Hand me—"

"Black suits you." He said arrogantly as he handed me the black lace push-up bra from the top drawer in the dresser with matching boyshorts. My entire face turned red, as I took them from Damon, giving him an urgent look to get the hell out of the room so I could change, but he only tossed a pair of jeans onto the bed and stood by the window, peering through the curtains.

I sighed heavily, climbing out of bed, keeping the T-shirt clutched against me as I gathered the clothes Damon had given me, padding into the bathroom as quickly as I could, and slamming the door behind me. He could be such an irritation, but it was highly attractive. I dropped the T-shirt to the floor, kicking it toward the sink as I clasped on the bra Damon had picked out, pulling the white tank top over my head, than layering on the long sleeve shirt – I groaned when I noticed that it was the shirt my mother had gotten me, one that had a low V-neck line, was half see-through lace and the other half was solid strips, but completely see-through lace on my back. I adjusted the shirts, pretending not to notice the ample of my chest – had Damon done this on purpose? Most likely. I stripped down the sweatpants, nudging them with my toe so they were with the T-shirt. I pulled my hair away from my face, messily tossing it up in a bun on top of my head with a few wisps of hair clinging to the side of my face and the nape of my neck. I glanced at the shower, my heart becoming frantic as I thought about my dream I'd had of Damon, but quickly pushing that aside as I stuck my legs through the appropriate holes of the jeans, leaning against the sink as I tugged them up to my hips, zipping and buttoning.

"Are you almost done?" Damon called from the bedroom.

I let out a soft, pissed-off noise that I knew he would hear. "Not yet."

"Hurry, Bella. We gotta get to the Boarding House before Jenna wakes up." Damon said, there was no trace of playful in his voice – which meant he was serious; but why would we need to get out of here before Jenna woke up? What about Ala— "Alaric is prepared to cover for you, and so is Jeremy."

"But I have school." I reminded him.

"Yeah, I know. You're not going today." Damon replied, his voice oozing impatience.

"Give me a minute." I fought the urge to punch something, most likely him.

I didn't like when I was being rushed, but I guess I had no choice, since I _had _to be out of this house before Jenna woke up. Which probably didn't leave me a lot of time, since her pain killers were bound to wear off sooner than I'd think. I yanked open the door, stepping out into the bedroom to find that Damon had brought himself to laying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, his hands on his pelvis. He looked at me when I was fully out of the bathroom, and said, "about time," with a grin as his eyebrows raised.

"Let's just go." I pulled on a pair of socks I grabbed from the drawer, then stepping into my Converse. Damon leaped up from the bed, pushing his hair away from his face as he grabbed my wrist, pulling me out of the room and down the stairs, straight through the foyer to out the door. I stumbled as I struggled keeping up with his hastened pace, he opened the driver's door and nudged me inside, I dropped to in the car, climbing over to the passenger's seat. _Terrific_, I thought to myself, _A dominant vampire with kidnapping expertise_. Or that's what this felt like, I configured as I pulled the seatbelt along to buckling, Damon got into the seat and turned the key in the ignition – the engine roared against the pavement. He turned on the radio, _Enjoy The Silence _by _Anberlin _came exceptionally loud through the speakers – I don't know why, but I preferred this version over the Original by Depeche Mode.

The drive to the Salvatore's was quicker than I remembered it to be, as I glanced out the window, my thoughts consumed as to the millions of reasons as to why I had to be dragged out of the house before Jenna's medication wore off, what Alice would think if she heard about this supposed kidnapping, and when the appropriate time could be that I tell Damon how I really feel about him – screw the vampire thing, the connection we had, the strong pull was undeniable. I needed _him_ to know. _I_ needed to know. I felt my phone buzzing in my jean pocket, pulling it out and going into my messages, glancing at Damon from the corner of my eye before looking down at my phone again. I smiled broadened on my face.

**Jacob: **_I miss you_

My fingers tapped along the keyboard.

**Bella: **_I miss you too, more than I could tell… I have a lot to tell you, when you have a chance!_

I figured my best friend deserved to know that Edward had come to Mystic Falls, trying to get me to return and then abruptly, unexpectedly accepted my decision of wanting to stay here for my safety – and the fact I had feelings for someone who wasn't him; that really took me by surprise. But at least I was able to tell him that I loved him, I just couldn't be with him, things would be too different, too strained for us to even consider developing that relationship again. I almost wondered if Damon was a mind reader, or if he had a special gift like the Cullen's did – but I couldn't ask him. Today was going to be about discovering if there could be something between us, not vampires, or at least him _being _a vampire – that could be saved for later on, or even tomorrow. My phone went into a frenzy as it repeatedly vibrated, allowing me to know I'd missed a notification, I went into my messages and looked to see Jacob had replied.

**Jacob: **_Can't wait to hear, Bells. _

I bit my lip as I smiled, and then my thoughts traced to what Edward had said the night before while he was attempting in bringing me back to Forks – he had said Jacob wasn't talking to anyone except Sam, which I had understood at the time because Sam was the pack's Alpha and they had no choice but to communicate with him. Did this prove Edward wrong that Jacob wasn't being antisocial? Or was it just because he missed me, all of them. Either way, I felt bad that I hadn't kept in contact with Jacob as much as I'd liked to, as much as I'd promised him before leaving – this also reminded me that I had to find a way to get Charlie here, so he could see me, the same going for Jacob. It wasn't fair that I had Alice here, while they are wallowing away in Forks under a constant cover of clouds and rain, and we get to enjoy the nice weather where it's _sunny _and _pretty_.

"Come on," Damon interrupted my thoughts as he revved the engine once before turning off the car as we had arrived at the Boarding House – but this time we'd parked by the garage that I didn't know existed. We both got out of the car, I tucked my phone in my pocket, making a mental note to reply to Jacob's message when we were done talking. He rounded the car over to me, pressing one hand lightly to my wrist, his ice eyes boring into my soft brown ones.

"What's going on, Damon?" I whispered, looking away from him before I got sucked in.

"we'll talk inside," was all he said as he wrapped his fingers around my small wrist; instantly I was pulled away from the Camaro and brought to the house, straight up the porch steps and into the living room. I didn't struggle or fight out of his grasp, I just wished he'd grabbed my hand instead of my wrist. . . "We're not staying in the living room," He said as he poured himself a glass of scotch when I was about to take a seat on the couch, I immediately straightened my posture and went back toward him, tucking a wisp of my hair behind my ear.

"Where are we—"

"Just shush, Bella." He sipped his scotch, clinking the ice around in his glass. "Would you like a glass of Bourbon or scotch?"

"Sure." I said through my teeth, watching as Damon put his glass down, then poured one for me – he handed me the one he'd already drank from, I quickly took it and placed my lips where his had been, slowly sipping the caramel colored liquid that left a acid taste in my mouth as it slithered down my throat.

A smile quirked his lips as he watched me drink the scotch, I swallowed hard to fight down the burn – I still wasn't a fan of alcohol, I still didn't like the taste, but maybe it would help me loosen up. "Come on, we're going up to my room for a bit, then I need to show you something."

"Alright."

Damon draped an arm around me, as he led me out of the living room, bringing me up the stairs. We were silent as we walked down the hall, sipping our chosen drinks, the only sound being made was the ice clacking against the sides of the glass or against each other. I chewed softly on my bottom lip, looking around at the décor that was hanging on the walls along the halls of the upstairs in the Boarding House. He pushed open the door with the hand that was clutching the glass of scotch, and brought me inside – it was exactly as I remembered, down to the pile of books that were by the headboard of his bed. I wondered how soft and comfortable his bed was, glancing briefly at him, as he dropped his arm from my shoulder and walking into the master bathroom that connected. I shudder, his words replaying in my mind but are quickly washed away when I remember him kissing me – there was some explaining to do, from _him_.

I helped myself to sitting on Damon's bed, crossing one leg over the other after scraping off my Converse so that I was only having my socks on, looking around his room, absolutely amazed by the way he'd styled his room. I wondered how long this had been his room. What secrets lie around in the confinement of these four walls, what about beyond? Damon seemed very mysterious and secretive, but that's what I found alluring about him – Edward was the complete opposite. I do admit, that Edward might be right about Damon being dangerous, but that's what drew me to him – as it had for sticking with Edward, I craved it the same way I did while Edward was absent in my life. I didn't mind the obstacles, and hopefully Damon could accept that – he most likely would.

"You look cozy." Damon chuckled as he stepped out of the bathroom.

I looked over at him, "What do you mean?"

"Never mind, Bella." He grinned and walked over to me, flipping to the other side without spilling a drop of his scotch, having his back nestled comfortably against the mattress as he looked up at the high-peak wood ceiling. I put my glass on the table after taking one last sip, bringing my legs up on the bed and scooting so that I was laying beside him. He glanced over at me, bringing the glass to his lips but not taking a sip, his eyes never leaving me. I tried not to look at him, as my attention flickered around the room, desperate to find something to distract me; suddenly I was afraid.

Not of him, but what could happen _with _him – it was a field that I wasn't familiar with.

"You look like you have a lot on your mind." Damon observed, turning his body slightly as he put the glass on the table closest to him, then going back to looking at me directly. I swallowed hard, wanting to tell him _yes _but I just couldn't form any words right now, I had too much on my mind; I was trying to think of what I _could _say to him, but my mind came up blank. "Bella?" Damon's voice had become softer, I saw from the corner of my eye that he'd moved a little closer to me, his head dipped slightly as he continued looking at me. I grabbed my glass from the table, taking a long sip and accidentally taking a piece of ice into my mouth. It melted almost instantly against my tongue.

"Damon…" I murmured against the glass, swallowing the melted ice; he had moved a smidge closer, but I didn't look over at him. "I—I need to… I need to—I, I—"

"Just shush." He touched my jaw with his index finger, slowly beginning to turn my head so that I was facing him, so that I was looking directly at him. I let him move me, but I didn't look at him – instead I looked above him, toward the window, while he caressed the side of my face. Was he this way with the other girls he'd brought up to his room?

My answer would be _yes_.

"Stop, stop." I forced through my teeth as I felt his warm breath against my lips, causing my lower lip to twitch. I didn't know what was going to happen, I didn't know why I was stopping him – he was going to kiss me, but for some reason, I didn't _want _to kiss Damon. Not yet. Not now.

"You aren't understanding." Damon let out a breathless chuckle, I fought the urge to roll my eyes – what wasn't I understanding? He wanted to kiss me, it was evident. "Can you just look at me, Bella?" I let my gaze flicker to him.

He was dangerously close, his lips only centimeters away from mine – this reminded me of my first kiss with Edward, the way he was so tentative and cautious as he was to press his lips to mine. But this wasn't going to be the first time I'd be kissing Damon, we'd kissed twice, and both of them sent my heart soaring with a million rocketed flames of lust and maybe even _love_ to course through my entire body. My body writhed as I thought of when he'd first kissed me, the memory replaying in my mind like I was watching my life displayed as a movie. I had asked him if he was a vampire, and he didn't directly answer my question, but before I knew it, Damon's lips were against mine, I know how much I enjoyed kissing him – it made me feel like we were the only two people. That was, until Alice had walked in on us kissing. And then there was last night, how Damon kissed me just moments before Alice and Edward had come along. He had been in a rush to do something important, but wouldn't tell me what – he had asked if I'd see him later. I was bummed that I didn't, though seeing him now was just as good. He was getting me out of school, because he wanted to talk and spend time with me.

I felt that Damon was trying to keep up a façade. He was struggling to be the bad guy, to prove to everyone that he was not just some guy who was the older brother of Stefan – he wanted people to know that he couldn't be counter on, that there was nothing but blood that went through his body, he was cold hearted and didn't give a shit about anyone but himself.

He probably had worked incredibly hard on getting where he was, but I saw right through it.

"You want to kiss me."

My thoughts were interrupted, but I felt that Damon had been reading my thoughts – because it was a hundred percent true I wanted to feel him against me, even if he was just giving me a hug. I loved the way my body could melt against his muscular stature, he was warm and comfortable, unlike Edward who was like stone, but I didn't mind that either – or at least I didn't. It was different with Damon – I just couldn't place a specific detail on it, of what it precisely _was_ that _made_ him different.

"N—"

"And I want to kiss you."

There was no hesitation in closing the gap between us, as his lips found mine. He opened my mouth with his, sliding his tongue into my mouth, flicking once against mine before our tongues went into a tango. My hand slid up to the nape of his neck, grabbing a fistful of his hair, tangling my fingers in his dark brown locks, trying to pull myself closer, his hands went down to my waist, gripping tightly. His tongue removed itself from my mouth, and his teeth gnawed gently on my bottom lip – I moaned into his mouth, he smirked. I was surprised as my body was lifted from the bed, and slid onto Damon's lap as he sat up, pulling my body tightly against his. I raked my fingers through his hair, my lips intensely moving with his, kissing him hard – he returned it with the same desperation. He flipped us, so that I was laying beneath him, he kissed along my jaw, down my neck, as he pushed my shirt up. His lips trailed down my stomach, my shirt was removed from my body and tossed somewhere in the room.

Our eyes met, intently. He took my jeans between his teeth, swiftly having it unbuttoned, and tugging them down my hips, tearing my jeans down my legs and throwing them where my shirt had gone. He pressed his chin against my mound, and growled softly, I bit my lip, fighting back the moan as the vibration went through and hit me like ecstasy. He smiled and took my underwear between his teeth next, slowly sliding them down over my hips, down my legs until they were at my ankles. I kicked them away as he started kissing up my leg, his lips heating my skin as he inched up my thigh, spreading my legs slightly – I tensed, as much as I hated that I did, I was scared as to what might happen. But it washed away as I realized that I knew I could trust Damon, this had been what I wanted, something Edward _hadn't _given to me, but he'd _thrown_ it away with Rosalie. He kissed up my stomach, pressing his thumb against my clit and rubbing softly, his lips at my chest, sucking on the soft skin of my right breast.

He started grinding hard against me, I voluntarily moaned, grabbing at his pants, tugging them down – not necessarily caring if the zipper ended up splitting, grinding with him. Damon slipped himself out of his boxers, he rubbed it hard against my clit, his breathing instantly became heavier as he touched me; I reached down, taking him in my hand, stroking him as I simultaneously tried to bring him inside of me, growing impatient: I felt myself already wet and ready for him. His body jolted almost instantly as he slowly went inside of me. I whined softly in a moan, bringing both hands above my head against the mattress, rocking my hips once to push him in more. Damon pressed his hand to my wrists, holding my hands above my head, he pushed himself deep inside of me until the head of his cock was pressed to my barrier. I spread my legs a little wider for him, as he used his free hand to pull me as close to him as he possibly could by my hips; I growled and moaned through my teeth, bucking my hips hard against his, pulling back slightly then doing it again, but it wasn't enough to have him fully inside of me, not far enough to push passed my hymen. He bit my neck slowly, he started to thrust hard in sync with me – I felt the tear as he broke the little slab of skin that separated me to becoming a woman. I shuddered and moaned, wrapping my legs tightly around his waist; I felt him smile as he lifted his head from my breast, starting to thrust hard and fast – he didn't seem to worried about hurting me, as I imagined Edward would if he we'd ever gotten this far before everything happened. He slipped his hand under my bra, running his thumb over my nipple.

I pushed my chest against his hand, thrusting my hips with his, moaning a little louder, as a smile formed on my face. He reached behind me, undoing my bra with one hand, and nibbled at my nipple softly, smiling against the soft skin; he pushed himself as deep inside of me as he could, thrusting harder and harder with every thrust. I panted, tightening my legs around his waist, arching my body from the bed, digging my nails into my palm, pushing my hips harder to his. He slowly let go of my hands, pulling me by my hips, holding her as tight to him as he could, "Fuck," he moaned softly against my nipple.

"Un… h—harder." I slid my hands down to his back, digging my nails slightly into his skin. "B—bite me," I whispered softly, unevenly. He bit my nipple softly, nibbling slowly up to my neck, biting me hard – leaving behind a bruise; he took his hands from me and reached up, grabbing the headboard with one hand. He didn't think twice as he started pounding me, my legs dropped from around his waist, I spread my legs as wide as I could for him, a rush of heat flooding in my abdomen, my walls tightening around him with each hard thrust. "Damon!" I screamed as he started pushing himself harder and deeper inside of me, unyieldingly thrusting inside of me, my nails dug into his back, breaking skin as I tipped my head back, moaning louder than I had ever thought was possible. I dragged my nails down his back, leaving behind red scratches in my trail; cum soaked the bed beneath me and along my thighs.

I never thought such feeling was possible, as I writhed in pleasure, my body trembling as I forced my hips up harder to his, trying to pull his body closer to mine. I barely had my eyes open, my vision was slightly blurred, but I could see that Damon was watching me – he watched as I came, the face I made when I rode into an orgasm seemed to urge him on more and more; he fucked me harder, faster. His eyes closed. "O-h, fu-ck." He moaned as I felt his warm substance. I dug my nails more into his back, burying my blissed, flushed face against his chest, moaning his name over and over, getting hotter as his cum filled me.

"I could fuck you all day, Bella." He whispered against my neck, softly. I kissed his chest, breathing heavily – I sure wasn't going to object to that, in any way. He smiled and nuzzled his cheek into my neck, I reached up from his back, tangling my fingers in his hair, kissing his neck softly as I smiled. He kissed my neck, I closed my eyes and gripped onto his back, as I flipped us so that he was on his back, moving my hips slowly. I really didn't know where this sexual dominance came from, or where this sexual attitude came from, but I was enjoying it. I blushed when he laughed as he looked up at me, "well, hey."

"Hi." I whispered, kissing him softly.

He smiled and kissed me back softly, grinding softly against me. I moaned against his lips, biting down hard, rocking my hips a little faster. Damon continued to smile, and thrusted hard once, grinning at me. I smiled back, rolling my hips slowly and hard onto his, biting his bottom lip again. He leaned back and put his hands behind his head, watching me, as I sat up a little faster, beginning to ride him as hard as I could go, his hands went to my hips. I looked down at him, lifting my body up slowly until he was almost out, then going down hard, sending him deeper than before, my hands placed on his chest. Damon sat up slowly, watching himself slide deep inside of me, his eyes flickering to mine momentarily. I went up and down again, slowly wrapping my legs around him, grinding into him, hard. I slowed down then sped up, as he let out a barely audible sigh, it caused me to think that I was doing something wrong.

"Bella." He muttered, I looked at him, kissing his neck softly. He bounced me, hard and fast, I moaned against his neck, but it instantly slowed down, I felt his lips to my neck, spreading slightly. He bit down gently, tightening his grip on my hips – I was underneath him within seconds, grinding up against him, as I pushed his head more against my neck, my head tipped back as he was thrusting slowly.

"Bite me." I whispered, fearlessly.

Damon's head jerked up as he stared into my eyes, confusion clouding in his eyes – I knew he was distracted by the way I'd said it. But nothing was said, as he looked into my eyes. I pressed my hand to his jaw, I wanted to see his face. His eyes flooded with blood around the darkened blue iris, and the dark veins pulsated beneath his eyes, surrounding, his vampire visage exposed. He growled softly from behind his fangs, as his head lowered; there was no hesitation as his fangs pierced through my sensitive, soft skin. I whimpered, gripping at his hair as I pulled him closer – I wasn't afraid as my blood leaked from the wound, washing into his mouth, trickling down my neck and breasts. His hand smoothed along my bare skin, my blood coating his palm, he slid his hand down my stomach and started rubbing hard at my clit. I moaned and whined, biting my lip harder than I anticipated – my eyes opened a little more, but my vision had become unfocused and blurred, as my breathing became heavier. My hips moved hard with his, the fact that he was biting me didn't take my focus away from the fact that we were fucking on Damon's bed. My heart slowed down, as I attempted in gathering my thoughts, wanting to make sense of everything besides Damon at the moment. But I couldn't, I was too warped.

Unexpectedly, I lost myself, as blackness covered me, I lost sense of everything except – Damon all but disappeared, the last thing I felt, was his teeth sinking deeper, more fiercely into my neck.

* * *

**AN: **sorry if this seemed a bit rushed, and more will be explained in the next chapter, I promise.

I just wanted to have an intimate scene between Damon and Bella.


	16. What Feels Like Betrayal

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen.**

I could barely make out the figure hovering over me, eyes heavy-lidded and vision blurred. My muscles ached, adrenaline pulsed quickly through my veins, my heart pounded harshly – I writhed in pleasure, goose bumps spread like a rash along my naked body at someone's warm breath brushing along my pale skin. I sifted through the many layers that clouded my brain but I couldn't grasp on _anything_, they slipped right through my fingers. Soft lips peppered from my breasts, up to my shoulders and sliding wistfully to along my neck; my eyes fluttered instantly. I tangled my fingers tightly in their thick hair, pulling their head closer, arching my body slowly up into theirs, inhaling deeply I receive a nose filled with the sultry mixture of sweat, strawberries, and – do I smell _blood_? Swiftly, I toss my head from side to side, trying to regain absolute focus, wanting to snap myself out of this sex-driven haze, as my thoughts slowly collected, gathering together, piecing the details. I remembered where I was, who I was with, and what I'd requested this person to do, just in time for my clear eyes to take in the surroundings: a vast bedroom that belonged in the Boarding House and the elder vampire who occupied it. I brought my hand slowly from his back, dropping to my chest and making its way up, I could feel something sticky lathering on my palm – my gaze drifted to see the red ooze – I smiled, nefariously.

"What are you smiling about?" Damon Salvatore asked, taking away my attention. I looked to see him lying beside me, on his side with one arm propped up for support. He wore a sheepish grin, and a sultry thin layer of sex-sweat that made him ten times more attractive than I'd ever think. I only continued smiling, turning my body slightly to face him, watching as his fingers trailed along my curves: more goose bumps.

"Nothing," I say as I place my palm to his jaw, then pulling away, leaving behind a bloody handprint.

"Cute, Bella," He chuckled lightly and grabbed the pillow, rubbing his face so that the blood smeared onto the white. I scoffed playfully – never, in a million years, would I think that I would be so _cool_about this, as a human, anyway. I expected a lot for when Edward finally decided to turn me into a vampire, but since we were no longer to be married, that was not an option.

"Uh, hey Damon…?" My fingers brushed along the bite mark again, where it had finally stopped gushing blood, and I wondered why this had a different effect on me than when I'd been bitten by James. Carlisle had said I was in the midst of becoming a vampire, if the venom was spread far enough, and that Edward had to make a choice – let me become a part of his world or suck it out before it was too late.

"What's up, buttercup?" Damon flexed himself a little as he stretched his body out slightly on the bed, moving his hand to slipping between my bare thighs.

"How come you didn't turn me into a vampire?" I mumbled, my heart took off like helicopter blades inside of my chest as his hand inched upward, his thumb separating my folds and then rubbing softly at my clit. I bite my tongue to prevent moaning.

"What do you mean?" He raised both eyebrows, clearly confused.

"Don't you have to be bitten in order to be turned?" I questioned, watching as Damon slowly shook his head at me, a smirk quirking his lips as he fought the urge to laugh in my face – it was evident in his smoldering blue eyes.

"It's a lot more complicated than that," He insisted with a playful tone, this time I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate more – this made no sense; then again, I've come to notice that Damon is very much different than Edward and Alice. "A bite doesn't do anything to you, it just allows me to feed and what not – while if you want to be turned _into_ a vampire, I have to feed you my blood, you have to die with it in your system: it's this whole big ordeal, hard to follow."

I nodded slowly. "Wow."

"What?" he chuckled again.

"Never mind," I said as I pulled the blanket up on my body.

Damon studied me, rather intensely. "Do you know how hot you are, Bella?"

My face burned, "I.." I watched as a smirk slowly tugged at the corners of Damon's lips. But it quickly fell as he abruptly sat up straight, his spine stiff and the muscles taut in his jaw. I held the blood-stained sheet close to my body, clutching it against my bare breasts, my eyes locked on Damon suspiciously. He never looked in my direction; instead he was bounding out of bed, dressing himself almost _too _quickly in his boxers, dark jeans, and black shirt. Damon yanked on his leather jacket, stepping swiftly out of the room without a glance toward me – I swallowed hard, the tip of my nose burning as I had the urge to sneeze, but it soon mixed with the desperate need to cry. I couldn't believe that Damon had just _left _me – it was so typical. So cliché. My heart flipped inside of my chest; I grabbed my cell phone from the floor, dialing Elena's number, wanting to tell my cousin about this encounter – but it went straight to voice mail. I sighed, taking my bottom lip between my teeth, chewing softly as I dialed Alice's number next, please to hear the sound of the constant ringing echoing through my ear while waiting for my best friend to pick up the phone.

"Bella, where are you?" Alice's chirpy voice suddenly gave me a headache.

"The—the Salvatore… the Boa—Boarding House," I whispered, fearing what she might think or have to say about being with Damon. But I couldn't hear what she said; instead Edward's comment about Damon receded through my thoughts. It flickered to the way he'd bitten me: there was absolutely no hesitation in piercing his teeth through my flesh, no remorse.

"Bella, are you there?" She said after a moment.

"What?" I snapped.

"Never mind," Alice sighed; I was disappointed to hear the _click _on the other line – Alice had rudely hung up on me.

I tossed the phone beside me onto the bed, my eyes raking over the blood splatters from Damon that streaked along the sheet, it wasn't entirely visible, but you could see the dark patches of my blood. I clutched the blanket more against me, looking toward the window, biting down harder on my lower lip. After a few moments, I tossed the blanket aside, getting to my feet, and tugging on the garments that Damon had strewn across the room, pulling on my clothes after. I twisted my hair up into a messy bun, feeling something drip down my face – I looked up, there was no leak in the ceiling, not that I expected there to be one . . . I touched my cheek, seeing a shriveling droplet of water, as another rolled down my face. There was another. And then another. Soon they were streaming down my face, it took me a while to register that I was _crying_. It made perfect sense – for me to feel this way. Damon had taken advantage of me, and then left me, in _his _home, without another word or a look in my direction. He didn't care, I confirmed as I walked out of the Boarding House, preparing myself to walk back to the Gilbert's since I had nowhere else to go. Damon's Camaro was gone from the premises; it tugged at my heart rapidly. _Of course_, and the realization hit me hard, as the tears came faster, hotter. I _knew_ it was stupid, because _he_ was Damon Salvatore and _I _was Isabella Swan. It wasn't likely that I could** be** _happy_ with him, form a _relationship _with him – not with the way I did Edward Cullen, the polar opposite of the elder Salvatore brother.

My fingers trembled, as a cold soft, gentle breeze brushed along the back of my neck, taking my cell phone out again – dialing Alaric's number, surely he wouldn't mind picking me up, but then I remembered about Jenna, backing out of the keypad before pressing 'talk' to call, sliding my phone back into my pocket. This was going to be a long walk, I thought to myself as my eyes drifted to Wickery Bridge; I cringed at the thought of Renee getting the call about Miranda and Grayson dying in a tragic car accident, with the unexplained survival of Elena, who'd been in the backseat. A honk blared, taking me out of my thoughts. I screamed, a little too loudly. My eyes frantically flickered around, my heart raced inside of my chest so fast that I thought it would break through my rib cage, as it grinded harshly, desperate to slip through the spaces between my bones. I didn't see a car, as I turned my head in every direction, goose bumps raising on my arms, swallowing hard as I slowly started to walk faster, my feet nearly silent against the pavement of the bridge, the tips of my shoes scuffing up little pebbles, with my hands shoved deep into my pockets of my jeans.

What felt like an entire day later, I finally walked up the steps of the front porch to the Gilbert house, turning the door knob and pushing it open, walking inside and closing the door behind me carefully in case Jenna happened to be sleeping. My eyes flickered around, I heard the television on inside, which meant Jenna and Alaric were spending their alone time together, watching tv, and doing God knows what else. . . except for, well, _that_. I peered to see that I was exactly right; Alaric had his arm draped tightly around Jenna, holding her close. I smiled.

"Hi." I murmured.

Jenna's head turned slowly, "Bella, I didn't know you were coming home early."

"Change of plans." I muttered, not bothering to ask what she meant, remembering that Damon had said Alaric would be covering for me. I didn't know my alibi.

"Are you hungry?" Alaric asked, not taking his attention away from the program that they were watching.

"N-"

"Bella, what happened to your neck?" Jenna asked, concern and suspicion lacing her voice. I saw that Alaric's body stiffened, and I swallowed hard – I'd almost forgotten about Damon's bloody bite mark, I hadn't washed away the blood, and I didn't try to cover it up. Her eyes narrowed, she looked ready to pounce up from the couch, but Alaric held her down stiffly. I didn't know what my bite looked like, but I was sure that it probably looked gruesome. "I'm waiting," she said sternly.

"Something happened, and... and it got messy. I'm okay though. No need to worry, Jenna." I reassured, mustering whatever I could think of, having no proper explanation, no idea what to tell her. I quickly turned on my heel, bolting up the stairs to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. I pressed my back against the door, my heart was frantically beating with worry. I glanced toward the mirror, slowly pealing away from the door, stepping toward the sink counter, my fingers touching lightly on my skin. The gash was deep, surrounded by dry blood, but it didn't look like a bite mark, not like the one that was on my wrist. It was horrifying. I turned on the faucet, ducking my other hand under the running water, hunching forward and splashing the luke warm water onto my skin, grabbing the cloth and furiously scrubbing at my neck, wincing and grinding my teeth together to prevent from making any loud noises, it hurt like hell.

A knock on the door caught my attention. "Hello?" A voice murmured; it sounded female. But not Elena, Jenna, or even Caroline. The doorknob jiggled, a few times.

"Someone's in here." I grumbled as I continued scrubbing at my neck.

"Who is that?" The female inquired.

"Bella," I called back to her. "Who's out there?"

"Bonnie?" She sounded bewildered, as if I _should _know who _she_ was. I'd never met anyone named Bonnie. "Unlock the door."

"Uh." I stood up straight, dabbing at my neck with the nearest towel, careful not to smudge any left over blood – I wasn't entirely sure how I'd be able to explain that. I used my other hand to unlock the door, my eyes settled on a female around the same height as me with nearly black curls, dark brown eyes, and coffee-colored skin. I'd never seen her before, but I felt like I had. She seemed to be a friend of Elena's, obviously, if she was in the Gilbert's home.

"You're Elena's cousin, aren't you?" The girl named Bonnie inquired, slowly I nodded. "I'm Bonnie Bennett, her other best friend... You met Caroline, didn't you, in school and she...?"

"Uh, yeah." I guess she heard that Caroline had come after me in school. "Speaking of Elena, do you know where she is? She wasn't here this morning, Jeremy said that she was sleeping at the Boarding House, but–" I quickly cut myself off, allowing her to begin talking.

"I do." she murmured, but before I could ask or say anything else, Bonnie headed toward Jeremy's bedroom.

I watched her, my hand twitching at my side, as I put the towel back on the rack, walking to Jenna's room and closing the door behind me.

* * *

**AN: **sorry I haven't updated in a while, I had no idea what to write next. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter will be a bit of a surprise, and there _wont _be the "I Love You" from Damon to_ Elena_ after she is rescued. Sorry, DELENA fans. But just know that I love you guys for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following this story. It means a lot to me, you have no idea.


	17. It's Been A Long Day

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

I plopped to sitting at the edge of Jenna's bed, bringing my legs up onto the mattress and slowly laying down on my back, staring up at the ceiling. My throat was hot and itchy from crying so much, but I didn't want to go back downstairs – for fear I might receive more questions from Jenna, and I doubt Alaric or I would be able to do some incredibly quick thinking; I wasn't too good at that. I was a bad enough liar as it is, though, I was getting slightly better at it since my arrival in Mystic Falls – which was a big improvement; back in Forks you could tell right off the bat whether or night I was lying about something. But that's not what I cared about, it wasn't important. No – the fact that there wasn't any word from Damon bothered me. And then there was Bonnie, I was intrigued by her, there was something different about her. . . she wasn't a vampire, as far as I knew. But she knew where Elena had gone, even though I wasn't entirely aware that she was missing to begin with – I'm sure Stefan has that under control. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and put my hands overlapping on my stomach, swallowing hard – I wanted to get proper sleep, to push away the unconsciousness that Damon had brought upon me from the bite. I didn't feel rested, and had no idea how long I'd been out cold for, Damon probably didn't either, but it's whatever. I guess.

* * *

**Damon's Point of View**

I had stepped outside the Boarding House to call my baby bro, only to receive the news that Elena was missing. I felt like a dick for leaving Bella, but I still cared about Elena – for my brother's sake. There was no hesitation for getting into my Camaro and heading down to Mystic Falls High School, I kept thinking that I should call Bella, but figured that it would be able to wait and I'll just explain everything later, in hopes that she wasn't royally pissed off at me. When I arrived at the school, I saw that Stefan was patiently waiting outside for me; I parked by the curb and went over to my little brother, my arms crossed over my chest, Stefan looked ready to blow at the disappearance of Elena. I couldn't help but smirk – no one that was a vampire knew about Bella, except for maybe that little pixie girl that hangs around, Alice, I think her name is – I never took much note to her.

"This has Katherine written all over it." Stefan said immediately.

"Katherine's in the tomb. Trust me; I'm the one who shut her in." I said confidently.

"Did you?"

"Did I what?" I inquired.

"Well, I know the hold that Katherine has on you." I hated the doubtfulness in my younger brother's voice – did he really think I would back out of sealing Katherine in the tomb where I'd thought her to be for 145 years? Yes, I loved her, if it was ever really love at all, but that's in the past and not enough to make me bring pity upon her. The bitch deserved it, for her own good, and Elena's protection.

Arrogant and snarky, I reply, "She's in the tomb, period. End of story. But she did say something to me right before I shut her in. I thought she was lying." I couldn't stop the faulting of my voice, my eyes cautiously flickering to Stefan.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"Elena's in danger." I recall.

"What?" Stefan almost growled, snappily. "And you didn't think you should ask her to elaborate?"

I didn't fight rolling my eyes this time. How could he be so idiotic? Though, my brother did make a point – not that I would tell him that. "Everything she says is a lie. How am I supposed to know if she's gonna start spouting out the truth?"

"We have to go talk to her." Stefan abruptly insisted.

"No, no. Let me tell you how that's gonna go," I remarked matter-of-factly to my brother. "We're gonna go ask her for help, she's gonna negotiate her release which we're gonna be dumb enough to give her and she's gonna get out and kill us!" He exclaimed. "This is exactly what she wants."

Stefan stared at me. "I don't really care."

"It's a bad idea, Stefan." I insist.

"It's Elena." Stefan was the one to speak matter-of-factly, and I knew he had a point.

My brother and I parted ways. I got back into my car, while Stefan went back into the school. I figured this was the perfect time to go talk to Alaric to let him know what was going down, and that he'd have to cover for Elena until we got her back – manly stalling Jenna, even though there wasn't many places that she could go. I drove away from the high school, blaring Highway to Hell by AC/DC, which wasn't a usual song that I listened to. I pulled my phone out from my pocket, sending a quick text to Alaric to let him know that I was coming by the house, and to alert Jenna I'd be stopping by. With any hopes, Bella was at the Gilbert's as well, which made things a lot easier for me. Shortly after, I pulled up in front, parking on the curb just as I normally do across the street, climbing out and walking towards the house. By the time I'm making my way up the steps, Alaric has the front door opened; a slight, tight smile perched on his lips.

"You need to talk?" Alaric muttered, peering over his shoulder toward where Jenna was sitting on the couch.

"Elena's been kidnapped." I say lowly. Alaric's eyes slightly widened, questionably, I slowly nodded to let him know that it was one hundred percent true.

"What's going on?" Alaric asked softly.

"Stefan wanted to talk to Katherine, but I told him that it'd be a bad idea – which I'm right. But he doesn't care, the moron that he is when it comes to love, anyway, I came to tell you, so you could cover for your step daughter a little longer." I reply, watching the expression on Alaric's face when I say the word _step daughter_ – I couldn't resist. It was the only way he'd go along with it, aside the fact he's dating Elena's aunt.

Slowly, Alaric nodded, but before he could say anything, Bonnie was coming downstairs, her eyes immediately moving to me, narrowing. "What are you doing here?" Bonnie asked, heading toward us as silently as she possibly could, her footsteps nearly soundless.

"Why aren't you in school?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I came to see if Elena was here." She replied, tilting her head up slightly as she raised both eyebrows at me – I could see how much she disliked me in her eyes, not that it bothered me. I wasn't Witchy's biggest fan either.

"She's been kidnapped." I keep my gaze steady on her.

"You're driving me to school." Bonnie said demandingly, I was surprised that she'd ever consider having me drive her somewhere – let alone she thinks she would be in the passenger seat of my car. But since she's Elena's best friend and she's the witch of this wall, I had no choice – so much for talking to Bella, I thought as Bonnie and I walked back to my car, respectively keeping our distances. It was silent when we got into my Camaro, and I hated the fact that she lowered my music as soon as the engine was started. I glared at Bonnie, who only smirked and buckled herself in, I rolled my eyes – she really knew how to irritate me. I revved the engine, pulling away from the curb and driving down the street, going back to Mystic Falls High School; I saw that she pulled her phone out, most likely texting Stefan, so they could probably meet somewhere and talk about Elena. Along the way, I tried making small talk, as painful as it was to both of us, by asking how Jeremy was with his sister's disappearance. Her reply – glaring at me, and then out the window. Whate_ver_. I dropped her back of at the school and she took off into the building without so much as a thank you, not that I expected one from Bonnie, I drove around the parking lot to find somewhere to park my car for the time being – who knew how long they'd be talking and I didn't want to wait in front of the school, which lead me to pulling around to the back of the school, close to where I knew Alaric's classroom was. When I entered the school, I could immediately hear Bonnie's voice – it was coming from Alaric's classroom, lucky me, I was close by.

I slowed down as I heard Jeremy and Stefan talking. They were talking about some kind of map, Bonnie and Jeremy, I mean. Then Stefan's voice cut in;

"Perfect. Call me with whatever you find." – Stefan

"No, no, I'm coming with you!" – Jeremy

"No Jeremy, you're not." – Stefan

"No, I'm not just gonna sit here. What if she's hurt, okay?"

I smell blood. What the fuck? It makes me walk a little faster towards the classroom.

"Or worse? What if she's…?" I can hear the worry creeping into the younger Gilbert's voice; I'm liking the sound of this argument as my brother replies, "She's not. You two go back to your house just in case. I'll call you the minute I find her."

By this time, I'm standing in front of the classroom, ready to walk inside when Jeremy says, "Well, you can't do this alone," and I walk inside, looking between the three of them, a smug look crossing my face.

"He's not. Let's go." I look over at my brother, demandingly.

"You're coming with me?" Stefan sounds astonished.

"It's Elena." I throw back at him from earlier.

We walk out Alaric's classroom in silence out to the back of the school and to my car, we gathered Alaric's weapons that had been stored away in his classroom like a vervain grenade – something my brother and I have to be very careful with, and on the road to where Elena's being held captive. By the time we're out of Mystic Falls, the music is turned on, and I try to spark conversation with my brother. Stefan's playing around with one of Alaric's weapons in his hands, the vervain grenade that I have to be so careful with because of the effect that it would have on me if it blew up in our face. It's a little glass bottle with some kind of small launching military weapon attached to it, my eyes flicker to the object in my brothers hands.

"What the hell is it?" I ask.

"I don't know, it's a vervain bomb or a grenade launcher or something like that." Stefan looks between me and out the window, his arm draped where the window should've been but it was rolled down.

"Weird." Is the only thing I could think of saying back to Stefan.

"Hey, how much further is it?" Stefan does it again.

I keep my eyes on the road. "About 80 miles."

"Who do you think took her?" This time he keeps his eyes out the window, and I like it that way, it's weird having someone watching me while I'm the driver – which is all the time.

My eyebrows lift a little as I think it over briefly. "Someone from Katherine's past. She said she was running from someone. They got the wrong girl." Even though this is my assumption, I hear the little doubting voice in the back of my head, but why let that get to me, huh? It's been wrong before – I just haven't.

"Thank you for helping me." Stefan said, turning his head so that he was looking over at me again. So much for not being weirded again.

I don't look over at him as I speak, "Can we not do the whole road trip bonding thing? The cliché of it all makes me itch."

Stefan's attention is out the window again, "Oh, come on Damon. We both know that you being in this car has absolutely nothing to do with me anyway."

"The elephant in the room lets out a mighty roar." I try not to smirk – my brother is right, but for the wrong reason. Yes, I'm going because it's Elena who's been kidnapped, but he thinks it's because I love her. . . and in a way, I do, but not the way that I used to. I'm doing this because Bella needs to know that her "cousin" is okay, as Alaric needs to know his dead undead wife's daughter is okay, Bonnie and Vampire Barbie have to be assured that their best friend is not dead, or apart of the undead like the rest of us, and Jeremy needs his older sister –slash- cousin around.

But Stefan's response intrigues me. "Well, it doesn't have to be an elephant. Let's talk about it."

Mentally sighing heavily, not in the mood to put a conversation in a completely opposite direction, or to start something with my brother about Bella while we're on a mission to save Elena, I reply with a short chuckle, "There's nothing to talk about."

"That's not true. I'm sure there is. I mean, are you in this car because you want to help your little brother save the girl that he loves? Or is it because you love her too? Hmm? I mean come on, express yourself. I happen to like road trip bonding." Stefan replied. I growled inaudibly.

"Keep it up, Stefan. I can step out of helping as easily as I stepped in." I answer, keeping my tone under control and sounding as arrogant as I possibly could, throwing in some of my signature smugness and the sound of annoyance towards my brother.

"No, you see that's the beauty of it. You can't." Stefan sounded like he was grinning, and I knew that he had a point.

Damn bastard.

* * *

**Bella's Point of View**

I woke up to the sound of the front door slamming closed; my eyes flew open and I jolted upright. How long had I been asleep? I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and jumped to my feet, scrambling to the bedroom door and yanking it open, I went to the stairs, slowly walking down, my heart thumping loud and fast inside of my chest, as I hoped it was Damon walking into the Gilbert's house, but at the same time, I didn't want it to be him. I swallowed hard, and then frowned, only to see that it was Jeremy and Bonnie walking into the house; Jenna was fast asleep and Alaric sounded like he was in the kitchen making something to eat. The duo walked up the stairs, which caused me to fling myself back into Jenna's bedroom and carefully closing the door behind me, holding my breath as I listened to see what would happen. Bonnie and Jeremy were silent the entire walk, until the sound of someone's door closing was heard softly upstairs. I opened Jenna's bedroom door, peering out in the hallway, they most likely went into Jeremy's bedroom since Elena wasn't here.

"Alaric just left with Jenna." I hear Bonnie say. I was completely off – then again, I've been sleeping for who knows how long, I was out of it, which left Bonnie and Jeremy (and me) alone in the house.

"He's getting her out o the house for a while so she doesn't question about Elena." Jeremy answered, "Look, I pulled this up based on that spot on the map." My eyes narrow slightly, wondering what he was talking about. "There's nothing around for miles except for this old house."

"Did you send it to Stefan?" Bonnie asked the younger Gilbert. I slowly open the door more, stepping out into the hallway and creeping toward my little cousin's bedroom, holding my breath, wanting to hear more of their conversation.

"Yeah." Jeremy said, the sound of a bed squeaking was heard, which meant they had probably sat down. "I hate sitting here, waiting like this."

"Hey, she's gonna be fine." Bonnie said reassuringly.

"You don't know that." Jeremy doubted the older girl, my breath caught in my throat – what were they talking about? Who was going to be fine? My suspicion rose as Bonnie replied, "No. I don't." and then the bed creaked again, someone stood up, Jeremy asked, "What are you doing?"

"There's something else I want to try." Bonnie's voice was hasty. In fear that she was going to walk out of Jeremy's bedroom, I backed away from the door and silently made my way downstairs, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear and taking deep breaths. There was no sign of Elena, even though I hadn't bothered to call her since the first time, but usually she came straight home, if school was even let out yet. I wasn't sure, as I didn't even know the time. But if Stefan had been brought into the conversation upstairs, something must have happened to Elena, that's the only logical reasoning. I hope she's okay.

By the time I'm walking upstairs, I hear Jeremy's voice frantic, "Bonnie? Bonnie! Bonnie! Bonnie!" I swallow hard, running carefully up the stairs and to the youngest Gilbert's bedroom, continuing to hear Jeremy say, "Bonnie" I throw open the bedroom door to see if everything's okay, just in time to see Bonnie's body slump onto the bed, visibly looking unconscious. There is blood on her nose; I slowly walk toward Jeremy's bed, I look automatically at Jeremy.

"What happened? Is she okay?" I stand at the foot of the bed.

"Yeah." But the look in his brown eyes tells me otherwise. I didn't want to start something by bringing up that there was what looked like dried blood that came from her nose, I let out a small sigh and nodded respectively at Jeremy, seeing as it really wasn't any of my business, and walked out his bedroom after giving a small apology for just barging in like that. He smiled a little, letting me know that it was okay; I closed the door behind me to give them privacy.

I walk back into Jenna's room, flopping to sitting on the bed, bringing my legs close and crossing them Indian style, grabbing my laptop from the nightstand where I had it charging. It hummed to life in my lap, and I grabbed my phone, checking to see that there was a new message from Jacob; it brought a small smile to my face. I loved getting the random "I miss you" text messages from him, but this also reminded me that I needed to call Charlie, and maybe Renée as it's been a while since I last talked to my own mother, let her know how things are going in Mystic Falls, before I went to bed, seeing as I forgot to do it last night. I brought up word document on my computer after signing in, and clicked on Google Chrome, scrunching my nose as I fought the massive urge to sneeze. But I didn't have a tissue, so that left me with a problem, unfortunately. I figured I would use this time to write up the paper that was due for my history class on the French Revolution, it wasn't my favorite topic, and I'm pretty sure that no one cared about it, but it was still something we were required to learn in Alaric's class at Mystic Falls High School. My throat felt dry, but I didn't want to go downstairs, because lately I've been learning how to distract myself – and I didn't want to distract myself from writing this paper. I don't know what's gotten into me, I was never like this back in Forks, but I was also enjoying not being so on top of my work. Edward was breathing down my neck about it, as was Charlie. It got irritating, but now I don't have to worry about that.

After getting two pages done, I was ready for that drink to relax my soring throat. I put my laptop carefully aside and got out of bed, walking downstairs – still unsure of the time, by the way, since I hadn't been paying much attention after I woke up from my nap. I spotted Jeremy getting a glass of water when I walked into the kitchen, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, grabbing one of the glasses from the cabinet.

"Hey Jer." I mumbled; the younger Gilbert turned to look at me.

"Hey Bella." The tone in Jeremy's voice was light, which I appreciated, it showed that he was finally warming to my living here.

"How's Bonnie?" I asked, turning on the faucet as Jeremy moved out of my way politely.

"Fine, she's tired, and I'm getting her something to drink for when she wakes up." Jeremy lifted the glass in his hand slightly for emphasis, smiling softly.

"I know the feeling." I laughed a little, bringing the glass to my lips and sipping the refreshing water. Instantly my throat felt better.

"What have you been doing all day? Haven't seen you since you checked on Bonnie." Jeremy inquired, taking a small sip of water from the glass, then lowering it so he didn't do it again, keeping his eyes trained on me.

"I started writing my paper for Alaric." I answered, and Jeremy nodded.

"Speaking of Alaric; want to order pizza or something for dinner? I don't know when Jenna and Alaric are going to be back." Jeremy said as he slowly made his way out of the kitchen.

"That sounds good." I nodded and sipped my drink again; Jeremy disappeared upstairs and closed the door behind him. I cursed myself for not asking about Elena while walking back up to Jenna's bedroom, as I was genuinely curious as to what the hell happened to my cousin. I take a few more sips of my water before putting it on the nightstand and sitting back down on the bed, bringing my laptop close to finish writing the paper for Alaric's class, rolling my eyes a little and clearing my throat, trying to think of what else I could write. But I couldn't think properly. I missed out on my chance to ask Jeremy what happened, and now it was going to bother me; I grabbed my phone quickly and went to Damon's name, composing and sending a text, even though I didn't expect a reply from the asshole.

**Bella: **_what happened to Elena? Where's she? Where are you? _

My eyes widened when a text message rolled in almost immediately.

**Damon: **_I'll explain everything soon. _

I tossed my phone back onto the bed beside me, the constricting feeling inside of my chest loosening, and this allowed me to finish writing my paper without any distractions for the rest of the day.

It was close to dusk or maybe even just a little after night fall when I finished writing my essay, when I hear the front door. I push my laptop carefully to the side again, getting to my feet and hurrying out, praying that it would be Damon so he could explain everything to me, but then I hear Jeremy shout, "Elena?" which saddened me but also made me happy to know that everything was okay with my cousin. I hear Jeremy and Bonnie coming down the hall after me, and we all see that Elena is making her way upstairs, Bonnie's instant reaction is throwing her arms around Elena, Jeremy and I stand off to the side. The blood is still on her pink sweater, which causes me to look at Jeremy, but he pretends not to notice anything. He just smiles.

"Are you okay?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm okay, I'm fine." Elena says as she continues to embrace Bonnie. Elena looks at her and smiles, "I got your message." I look at Jeremy again, but he doesn't say anything, I can hear Bonnie crying, I watch as Bonnie is now embraced by Jeremy. Elena looks at me and smiles softly.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I mouth, giving her a look that says she had a lot of explaining to do, for whatever Damon didn't cover. Elena nodded solemnly, understandingly. I didn't want to be left out, now that I knew about Damon and Stefan – Elena, Jeremy, Bonnie, and Alaric already knew, so why should I be kept out of things as well, like I was back in Forks? Elena slowly made her way up to her bedroom, saying something about needing a hot shower, not that I blamed her from how disheveled she looked – it was as if she slept in someone's car. Bonnie and Jeremy disappeared back up into the younger Gilbert's bedroom, and I stepped outside, needing a little bit of fresh air after being cooped up inside all day from writing the paper. I closed the door gingerly behind me. The cold air felt bitter against my pale skin, but I didn't mind. It felt nice, considering I felt stuffy and warm in the house all the time.

I leaned against the railing, closing my eyes, and crossing my arms over my chest. I took deep breaths, surprisingly loving the way the crisp, cool breeze brushed against the back of my neck gently. Mystic Falls really has changed me, in more ways than some. My eyes opened again to the sound of someone's footsteps against the wood of the porch, and I automatically figured it was Jenna and Alaric returning home from wherever they've been all day as Alaric's distraction for Elena. But when my vision settled, I found myself staring at a lean yet muscular body with pale skin, dark hair, and pale blue eyes. The face was relaxed, but the lips were tweaked into what looked like a smile mixed with a smirk – it looked good on him, but then again, he _always _looked good.

"Damon." I murmur.

"Bella." He said just as quietly, his eyes sweeping over me; I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down. I tucked my hair behind my ear again, daring myself to look into his eyes, standing up a little taller compared to him, and my normal height.

"You said you'd explain?" I raised an eyebrow at him, my bottom lip twitching.

"Where do I begin?" He let out a soft, awkward chuckle, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, then immediately taking them out.

"Where was Elena?" I asked.

"She was taken captive by someone who—" Damon immediately cut himself off, as if he wasn't sure whether or not to continue. Immediately, this annoyed me, and I glared at him, letting him know that I didn't want secrets to be kept from me. At least from him, anyone else I could honestly care less about. I wanted him to know that he could trust me. Slowly, Damon nodded. "someone who had an interest in Katherine a long time ago, and there was a—a bargain."

"What kind of bargain?" I raised my eyebrow a little higher.

"I wasn't given many details, Bella." He smiled reassuringly at me, showing me understanding. I nodded and let him continue, "But Elena's okay – she wasn't hurt. Things are settled and the guy is taken care of."

"That's good." I smiled at him.

"Yeah." Damon cleared his throat. "anything else?"

I opened my mouth to ask why he'd left, but then I already got my answer – Elena had been kidnapped and he needed to help Stefan get her back before she could have been harmed, or worse, killed. I bit my lip, tightening my arms across my chest, unsure of what to say next.

And then it hit me, like a train, hard and fast, before my own mind or any other part of me could register. It slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. "How do you feel about me?" Immediately, my hand flew to covering my mouth, I regretted it. I was suddenly afraid of his response, I slid my foot back slightly and I moved away from Damon, biting my lip harder than before. Damon remained where he stood, as if taking this to a serious level of thinking – he looked like he was thinking of the right ways to word everything, that way he didn't hurt my feelings, or ruin the possible friendship we could have – if we didn't already have it.

Damon took a slight step closer, a few moments later, looking down at me, his hands at his sides limply. I dropped my hands from being crossed over my chest, allowing myself to look up at him. "I love you, Isabella." His words caused my heart to become erratic inside of my chest, but I wasn't able to reply, so he kept going. "And it's because I love you, that I feel so protective of you. I don't want anything to happen to you, but I'm also feeling _selfish_. It's not right of me… This—This isn't me. I don't . . . Bella, I don't deserve you. I'm not the good guy, I can't be what you want me to be…"

"Damon," I interrupted softly. "I like you the way you are… I wouldn't change you… I wouldn't ask you to be someone that you're not.. You already do that too much, by pretending that you're human. You're—that's just it… you're not human."

A slight smile appeared, and then it faltered almost immediately after. I started to frown. But before I could say anything, Damon's kissed my forehead, a few moments later, his lips were on mine, soft and sweet, gentle, and he pulled away before I had the chance of kissing him back. I stared into his eyes, mindlessly watching the dilation of his pupils, nothing was said between us, but I suddenly felt myself – my mind, rather to speak, falling into the dark hole. I closed my eyes, and when I reopened them, I was staring around outside the Gilbert's house. I was alone. Confused, shaking my head, I went back into the house and up to Jenna's bedroom, closing the door behind me, and hooking my laptop back onto the charger before changing into my pajamas. I climbed into bed, staring around the room that suddenly seemed empty to me.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry it's been so long since I've updated, I haven't really had the time to write anything because of school and whatever. I really hope you liked this chapter, and I'm sorry that it's probably one of the longest chapters I've ever written. I'm on Spring Break this week, so I'll try to have another chapter up for you guys. What did you think, by the way?

Leave me your thoughts in the reviews!


	18. Remember What You Said

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

A slight smile appeared, and then it faltered almost immediately after. I started to frown. But before I could say anything, Damon's kissed my forehead, a few moments later, his lips were on mine, soft and sweet, gentle, and he pulled away before I had the chance of kissing him back. I stared into his eyes, mindlessly watching the dilation of his pupils, nothing was said between us, but I suddenly felt myself – my mind, rather to speak, falling into the dark hole. I closed my eyes, and when I reopened them, I was staring around outside the Gilbert's house. I was alone. Confused, shaking my head, I went back into the house and up to Jenna's bedroom, closing the door behind me, and hooking my laptop back onto the charger before changing into my pajamas. I climbed into bed, staring around the room that suddenly seemed empty to me.

My eyes fluttered closed, and I overlapped my hands on top of my stomach. My fingertips brushed along something that felt so foreign to me – I realized, without opening my eyes that I touched the weird ring that Damon had given to me for Christmas. A small, soft smile quirked my lips, even though I still hadn't the slightest idea as to why I'd been given the ring in the first place, other than he didn't want me wearing the engagement ring from Edward. My breathing slowed down, my heart was a slow, staccato rhythm inside of my chest – it was peaceful, but something just didn't feel right, not just in the room, but inside of me. Maybe, tonight, it was a sign that I'd get a decent amount of sleep.

I felt myself slowly begin to fall under, into the unconsciousness, without a struggle like I usually did on most nights ever since my arrival in Mystic Falls. I was . . . I couldn't see anything, which was strange for me, there was no imagery, no dreams, no thinking over what happened for me today. While I waited, patient and relaxed, I fidget with the ring on my finger, keeping my eyes closed, muting out any sounds that could take me out of this sedation state. The deeper I fell, the more a visual was approaching, and everything was blurred around the edges – like I was looking through a thick fog. I couldn't make much sense, but silhouettes were hardly becoming clear. There was one other person surrounding, that's all I knew. I couldn't hear any voices, no sounds echoing in my ears. It was pure silence, as if someone had hit the mute button on a Live Remote. Slowly, the second face was coming into view for me, I could see through the eyes in my dream – I was looking through a first perspective instead of looking onward from afar like most people do in their dreams.

I was staring into a pair of blue eyes – but they appeared more silver, it was so enchanting, I'd never seen anyone with such amusing eyes. They were smoldering, but they had a sense of mischief and flirty seduction flickering deep in the iris. Strands of his messy coffee black hair fell against his forehead, close to the tips of his eyelashes but not quite, as his face became clearer to me. I felt like I was looking through a telescope, and everything was becoming more focused, I could make out the light complexion of his skin with the olive undertones. His high, prominent and tremendous cheekbones were almost as noticeable as the sexy smirk that was plastered on his flawless, slightly paled face. And then, suddenly, my vision snapped back, I was no longer staring directly in front of him, instead I saw his side profile. There was a girl in front of him, the room was slowly spinning, like it did in the movies, and there was no clear visual of the female's face. Her skin was paler than his, a smooth ivory that resembled closely to Alice's, heavy dark chocolate-y hair that when in the direct light, shone with a reddish auburn tint that fell just a little passed her shoulders, prominent cheekbones seemed to be the only thing she had going, as her lips were a little too full for her slim jawline. Her eyes were a unique shade of brown, like a milky chocolate but a shade slightly darker.

He was looking into her eyes; blue met brown. There was a flush of red in her cheeks, I'm sure she didn't even notice, their lips were moving, but no words could be heard – his Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he swallowed. The intensity was a high spark; there was no way to deny there was some kind of interaction between them, once before. But who were they? The room started spinning again, whirling around the two people, and I was moving with them, I could hear the sounds of their hearts colliding, beating in synch. Neither of them looked over at me, they were in their own world, it was romantic. Her expression abruptly changed, like she was stricken with some kind of panic, but there was a soulful purpose.

_How do you feel about me? _

It was almost a whisper, clouded and fuzzy in my ears, like I had bad reception. It was soft, delicate like a female's voice – the girl must be talking to him. I glanced at him, waiting for his reaction; he looked almost amused, but also pleased. The male took a step closer, his piercing gaze intensified.

_I love you, Isabella_.

I heard this loud and clear, as if someone shouted it into a bullhorn. It nearly sent me over the edge, I could hear the frantic beating of her heart inside of her chest, as she kept her eyes fixed on him. This was getting more interesting, who was this Isabella? Who was this man?

_And it's because I love you, that I feel so protective of you. I don't want anything to happen to you, but I'm also feeling selfish. It's not right of me… This—This isn't me. I don't. . . Bella, I don't deserve you. I'm not the good guy, I can't be what you want me to be…_

I held my breath; my own heart matched the girl standing before him.

_Damon._

I gasped, unexpectedly. This was . . . Damon and I? My body went rigid, I felt frozen in place, and_ time _had stopped. My breath had now caught in my throat, as my brain tried to register what exactly was happening before me. The room stopped spinning, _we _came into focus – we were standing in my (Jenna's) bedroom, I remember the conversation beforehand, talking about what happened to Elena. There had been more to what we'd been talking about? Damon had told me that he loved me. . . but—but why didn't I remember this?

_I like you the way you are… I wouldn't change you… I wouldn't ask you to be someone that you're not.. You already do that too much, by pretending that you're human. You're—that's just it… you're not human._

Immediately, my eyes moved to Damon. He smiled at me, and then it disappeared just as quickly – this saddened me. Why wasn't he smiling? I frowned, watching as Damon pressed a light kiss to my forehead, and then moments later, he was softly, slowly kissing my lips – Damon had pulled away before I'd been given the chance to return the kiss. The look in my eyes, was something I'd never acknowledged before in my entire life, I just stared at him, like there wasn't a thought running through my mind. Damon's pupils dilated wider and smaller, but no words were exchanged.

That's when the emptiness kicked in. My eyes closed, and when they snapped open, my entire body shot up, frantic and numbing. My breath was shallow, I looked around, there was no sign of Damon – I was in Jenna's room. I struggled to return my breathing back to normal; I slumped back to laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling as I'd done before I'd fallen asleep. Confused and disoriented thoughts clouded my mind, I just couldn't believe what I'd seen . . . in my dream… that memory. Damon didn't seem like the kind of person, to be _in love _with someone, or just love someone at all – romantically. The room was lightening, which meant that the sun was coming up, I'd slept through the entire night, for once without any disturbance. I sat up again, pushing my mangled hair away from my face, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and standing up. I still couldn't entirely process; my mind was elsewhere but my body was completely spot-on, for once, as well. I normally stumbled out of bed when first waking up, today was different.

But there was a reason I couldn't remember this before, only hours ago. Damon had done something to make me forget that he'd spoken how he truly felt about me, for reasons of protection – not that I blamed him. How could I face him, with knowing the truth? How would I let him know, that I know he cares about and loves me, that he wants me safe, when I'm _not _supposed to know. I swallowed hard, padding into the bathroom, and bumping into Elena without acknowledging at first.

"Sorry, Bells." Elena smiled softly.

"Are you done? I could get out if you're not." I could hear the struggle in my voice. I wanted to share this with someone, could I trust Elena with this type of information, due to her friendship with Damon. She might not believe me, since she knew Damon better than I did. Or she'd tell Stefan, who'd only tell Damon, and it would circulate back to me. There was so many ways this could go, if I'd told Elena what I knew, or maybe just thought I knew, there was no direct proof. But I chose to believe he meant what he'd said.

"I'm almost do—" Elena looked at me, as if noticing me for the first time. "Are you okay? You don't look as tired as you normally do in the morning… did something happen?"

"Uh, no." I shook my head, knowing I couldn't trust my voice entirely.

"Alright, well, I'll just brush my teeth and finish getting ready for school." Elena stuck her tooth brush into her mouth and walked out of the bathroom, I waited until she door had been shut to turn on the water, but just staring at myself in the mirror, make it seem like I'm doing something. Nothing was out of the ordinary about me, except the purplish shadow-y bruises were lighter beneath my eyes from having a decent amount of sleep, thanks to Damon. Other than that, I looked the same as I did every day. It must be a girl thing, that I never understood, that allowed Elena to see something different about me that even I couldn't grasp.

I hurried myself with washing myself up and brushing my teeth, walking back into the room so Jeremy could get himself cleaned up before school. I found myself dressing with Damon on my mind, as I pulled on a pair of Vince scrunched ankle leggings that resembled very tight skinny jeans – only more comfortable, a gray T by Alexander Wang fitted tee V-neck dress that Alice probably bought me – it hung down just a little passed my thighs, and I laced up my LD Tuttle the Weave leather double layer combat boots. Alice must have done some extra shopping when looking for our dresses to wear to the Masquerade at the Lockwood's the other night, there wasn't a doubt in my mind. . . had she seen something going on between me and Damon, which caused her to amp up my wardrobe, something she might think I would appreciate? Which, I sort of did.

I slung my bag over my shoulder, walking out of Jenna's room and bidding a quick goodbye to Jenna as I left the house, my eyes widening at the sight of Damon sitting in front of the house in his Camaro. He beckoned me with a single look in his pale blue eyes, I felt almost reluctant to go – I didn't know how to act around him, I was nervous and suddenly shy. But either way, I walked to the passenger side of the car, and got in, tucking my legs under the dash, holding my breath; it was the only way I could really think of how to slow down my heart before it started racing inside of my chest.

"Morning Bella." He said with a grin, his voice was so nonchalant… but it didn't have its usual edge – how could he be so calm and collected after last night? Unless, maybe it really was a dream, that I imagined the whole thing?

"Morning." I murmur, still not trusting my voice, especially now that I was right beside him.

"You okay?" Damon inquired softly as he revved the engine.

"Uh-huh." And that was the end of our conversation, for the entire ride to school.

I stared out the window, refusing to let myself look over at Damon, fidgeting with the ring on my finger with my hands in my lap. I got small glimpses from the corner of my eye, he looked so relaxed and confidently sexy while driving with one hand on the wheel, the other draped sort of out the rolled down window, his eyes focused on the road. Music was playing from the radio, but I barely heard it, I was too focused on the harsh pounding inside of my chest. I hated the effect that this guy had on me. . . which was normal, from how undeniably attractive Damon Salvatore was – and he knew just how hot he was, he radiated the confidence, the sexy appeal, he was strong and proud. I admired him. He was nothing short of it, like Edward was who only hid himself with his family – Damon was open, as was Stefan, there was no trying to hide, he didn't isolate himself. I knew two different worlds. I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the cold glass of the window, slowing down my breathing even more – if possible, images flickering through my mind of Damon, and then, unexpectedly I saw Elena. But this was short.

I saw Elena in the foyer of the Gilbert's house, and in one swift motion, Damon had been flung into the living room, toppling the couch to the ground, causing it to collide with his athletic-built body. My eyes moved to Elena, I recognized the sly, glossy grin.

_We haven't officially met. My name is Katherine._

And just before the scene could settle into place, my eyes snapped open at the sound of Damon calling my name. I sat up straight, craning my head to look over at him, who had a sort of impatient look on his face.

"Were you even listening?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"N—No, sorry." I replied.

"S'cool. Want me to pick you up after school?" He asked, and slowly, I nodded at him, even though I wanted to just walk home so I could clear my head. His bottom lip twitched as he smiled more, the smoldering look returning in his blue eyes.

"Damon, who's—who's Katherine?" I blurted without even thinking it over.

"We'll talk later." Damon said promisingly, his eyes flickering to let me know that we'd been parked in front of the school. I had no choice but to accept that, since I had missed out on school yesterday – I had to go to class. Reluctant, I climbed out of the Camaro, and sauntered toward the building. I casually looked over my shoulder, offering a smile to Damon, who was still parked there, and as soon as I turned my head forward, the car raced off.

"I love you," I mouthed to myself. I imagined him saying it back, as I walked to my homeroom, accidentally bumping into Caroline as I entered the room – nothing was said, we both just looked at each other, then silently walked to our seats as Alaric stood at the front of the classroom.

* * *

**AN: **im sorry if this is a little jumbled. i've been writing this chapter all day and finally this all came to me. I took bits from Season 4, "Growing Pains" when Elena was remembering Damon telling her that he loved her, but Bella isn't in transition. If you remember correctly (because I literally just did) that Bella is immune to all things related to the mind, which means she is immune to compulsion; along with Damon had given her a ring that's similar to the one Alaric and Jeremy were. The ring seemed that Alaric was compelled by Isobel, after she removed the ring from his finger, then she slid it back onto his hand. I'm just going from what I remember, it's been a while since I've watched the earlier seasons.

All in all, this chapter sucked. In my opinion.


	19. Surprise, Surprise

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

School was hell, without a doubt. I couldn't focus, even for the slightest – all I could think about was Damon, and I felt like it was going to drive me insane. I hate how everything has started to revolve around him, even the simplest of thoughts; he always somehow finds his way to creep back into my mind. And to make it even worse, I always catch myself thinking about our . . . time together – it's like a curse, almost like becoming a vampire. I remember briefly that the Cullen's told me everything becomes intensified, or magnified, as a vampire, not just my senses. Sleeping with Damon, intensified my feelings for him, and I know it's the same way for him, otherwise he probably wouldn't have told me that he loved me, only to make me forget – he was afraid, which is understandable, I guess, but I don't have a back story to accept that. I know he'll tell me his relationship stories, eventually, since I told him about me and Edward. During Alaric's homeroom, I managed to get a text sent to Alice, "Hey Alice."– I hadn't talked to her since I called up crying, even though a word hadn't been mustered about what happened with Damon leaving me. To my surprise, she'd responded back quickly, acting as if everything was okay, and then I wondered what she could possibly doing on this brilliantly sunny day in Mystic Falls. Was she hiding out in the mall, there was no doubt in my mind that it was the _strongest_ possibility, for her.

After homeroom, I hadn't been able to talk to Alice again, until I re-stepped through the door of Alaric's classroom for History. Stefan, and Bonnie –had she always been in this class? I never noticed before—, had gotten to the class before me and took their seats. I took my respective seat behind Stefan, sliding my phone out of my pocket and glancing up to see Alaric writing something on the chalkboard in the front of the room. I went to my text messages, tapping on Alice's name once more, my eyes trained on Alaric – he wasn't a big fan of texting in class, but according to the trio, he isn't as strict as their old teacher, Coach Tanner, used to be. I waited until the lesson was starting to actually compose a new text to reply back to Alice's small, "Want me to pick you up after school?" – I guess this was her way of asking if I wanted to hang out when we were let out.

**Bella: **_Damon's picking me up, but we can hang out at Elena's? _

A response came within seconds.

**Alice: **_ I actually have something I want to show you. I'll just pick you up, sound good?  
_**Bella: **_yeah, what is it? You know I don't like surprises.  
_**Alice: **_you'll love this one!_

I can imagine Alice having the biggest sparkly smile spread across her Immortal pixie-like face, as she replied to my text message. Of course, she'd probably foreseen how I would react to whatever she had to show me, the moment I agreed to hanging out with her. One of the many perks to Alice, but I love her, and I always will – but it left my mind wandering as to just what the surprise might be. I thought back to my _technical _surprise party thrown by the Cullen's for my birthday – that didn't turn out well, for anyone. But I was surprised to feel my phone go off in my lap again, another text from Alice – I looked down.

**Alice: **_411 – Alaric's gonna bust you. Stop checking your phone, Bella! See you after school! Xoxo_

I closed out of my messages and jolted my head up just in time to see that Alaric had settled his gaze on me, a slight smile forming to see that I was paying attention, as I started writing the notes that he'd scrawled onto the chalk board. He turned his back to me again, moving to the next board to continue writing; I copied as quickly as I could so I wasn't behind. Throughout the remainder of the period, I could only think of the many possibilities that Alice would have to show me, some more terrifying than others, but according to her, she said I would like this surprise – which brought good thoughts. Perhaps she was plotting something with Damon? But that was a long shot. As far as I knew, Alice wasn't too fond of him, and the old me would agree that Damon was not . . . _right_. But, now, I can't see why she doesn't like Damon. Of course, I haven't told her about last night, and what he'd said to me, and she didn't know that I'd lost my virginity to him – those would be some disturbing visions.

It was such a relief that the day ended; I went to my locker to put away the books that I didn't need, but to my surprise, I found a familiar blonde leaning against the locker next to mine with her arms crossed over her chest – a stony look on her petite face. Slowly, I ventured the rest of the walk, swallowing hard before holding my breath, reaching out to turn my combo on the dial. Nothing was said, as I snapped the lock and opened my locker, careful not to hit Caroline – even though she deserved it for what she'd done to me; scaring me and nearly biting me. Just as I was closing my locker, and prepared to snap the lock again, she finally showed that there was a sign of life in her dead body: a soft sigh. Her blue eyes flickered to me, slowly her facial expression relaxed and she pushed her body away from the lockers.

"Bella," Caroline said – her voice a high octave. I looked at her, eyebrow raised, for I couldn't trust my voice just yet with her. "I wanted to apologize for attacking you like that in the hallway, I don't know what I was thinking – actually, I wasn't thinking. I was worried for my friends, and I thought you might have known something. Really, I'm sorry, Bella. I'm not that good at apologies… I'm sorry if I scared you."

I studied her features intensely, searching quickly for any sign that someone (Stefan or Elena) might have put her up to this, but I couldn't find a single thing – unless she was really good at hiding. After all, she's a vampire and her own family probably doesn't know it. I counted to three in my head, letting out a small sigh, as I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket. "It's okay, Caroline."

She smiled, "You sure?"

Solemnly, I nodded. "Yeah."

I was surprised when Caroline pulled me into a humble, friendly embrace – she pulled away before I even thought of returning it. With a quick, friendlier smile, Caroline waved at me and walked off in the opposite direction. I bit my lip, questionably, but shook it off, pulling my phone out of my pocket to see that it was a message from Damon, I smiled to myself, locking my locker, hiking my bag more on my shoulder, walking towards the front doors of Mystic Falls High School.

**Damon: **_Where are you? Don't make me come looking for you ;) _

My eyes widened. Had Damon really put a winky face at me? Would he really come looking for me, if I didn't hurry up outside, even though my locker wasn't so close to the front of the school where he'd be waiting for me? The answer would be, yes, as I heard the familiar sound of Damon's shoes stomping in the hallway, stalking his way toward where he figured I would be. I looked up to see Damon heading in my direction, sliding my phone back into my pocket, smiling at him.

"What took so long?" Damon asked as he stood in front of me, running a hand through his hair.

"Caroline apologized to me." I answered.

Damon's lip twitched. "It's about time." I narrowed my eyes, but didn't say anything. "Now, get to walking so I can take you home." I watched as he smirked at me. Smirking back, I remained where I stood, fondly crossing my arms over my chest and raising an eyebrow, as if challenging him, giving him a look that said, _and if I don't? – _This resulted in him saying, "Before I throw your ass over my shoulder and carry you myself."

"You won't." I struggled to keep the smirk on my face. I wanted to test him, even though I knew Damon was bold enough to grab me, throw me over his shoulder, and carry me out to his car.

"Really now?" Damon's expression smoldered. I held my breath, standing my ground. But in one swift motion, Damon's arms were wrapped around my waist and I was lifted off the ground; before I could say another word, my stomach was pressed against Damon's shoulder blade. I draped over him, my knees knocking into his stomach and hip, while my hand skimmed his lower back. I could easily tickle him, into dropping me, but where is the fun in that?

It was silent between us as Damon carried me out of the school and toward his car, which was parked right out front, as usual. He slid me carefully down to the ground, letting me help myself into the car, as he rounded to the other side, starting up his Camaro. I bit my lip, glancing out the window, putting my bag on the floor and my hands in my lap. I could feel his gaze burning against me, but I refused to look over at him, afraid I might say something about why I wasn't supposed to remember him telling me that he loved me. It might cross a line that wasn't intentionally supposed to be drawn. I waited until we were on the road, narrowing my eyes to see that we were heading in the opposite direction: to the Salvatore Boarding House.

"Damon." I squeaked, not taking my eyes off the trees as we whirled passed.

"Yeah?" He sped up a little.

"I... I need to go to the Gilbert's." I slowly turned to look at the vampire, who was intently staring over at me, the car slowed down just as much as it sped up. "Alice and I are spending the day together, I didn't really get a chance to see her since the Masquerade at the Lockwood's." Silently, I prayed that he understood, and from the softening expression on his face, I knew he did. He jerked the car in a U, flooring it as we coasted down the road, his hands gripping slightly on the steering wheel, his gaze forward.

"Glad you told me _now_." Damon mumbled under his breath; he sounded irritated, almost. The ride to the Gilbert's was silent, the only sound being the soft music coming from the radio: Highway To Hell by AC/DC, and this time, it was making me uncomfortable; I felt like I'd disappointed Damon, there was a part of me that hoped Damon had something planned for me - for us. But I didn't want to get my hopes up _too _high. The car slowed down as we pulled up on the other side of the Gilbert's street, parking in front of the neighbor-across's house. I smiled a 'thank you' to Damon, who only gave a small head nod, keeping his eyes focused out the windshield. I definitely disappointed him.

"Come inside?" I requested in a small voice as I grabbed my bag and climbed out of his car. Damon turned his head, giving me a stern look. I pouted, "Please?"

"Hmph." He grunted under his breath; a sound I was sure he hardly or never made.

"Please, Damon?" My voice rose a little louder, pleading to the man I had started to fall for. The ice melted in his blue eyes, and he sighed in defeat - did I have that effect on him? I watched, closing my door, as Damon rose from the Camaro and slammed the door after him, putting both hands on the roof of the car, looking around almost cautiously. Was he expecting Stefan to appear, or Caroline? Maybe Katherine. . .

I swallowed hard, walking slowly and as casually as I possibly could toward the Gilbert's house, smiling at the sight of the familiar bumblebee-yellow Porsche 911 Turbo residing in the driveway of the Gilbert's behind Jenna's car. It brought me to wondering how Alice got it from Washington to here, but then again, anything was possible with her. I heard Damon mutter something under his breath, probably about Alice's car - I didn't doubt it, since he was a man of cars. My thoughts briefly flickered to wondering if he would get along with Jacob, despite them being mortal enemy-species.

"Alice?" I called softly, knowing she was able to hear me with her intensified hearing, as I walked into the house with Damon closely at my side.

"Upstairs." I heard my best friend's chirpy voice sing-song, and I automatically smiled. Damon's postured tensed, I noticed from the corner of my eye, and I held my breath, wondering why he suddenly acted this way. I didn't even hear Alice's light footsteps as she danced her way down the stairs, appearing at my side, pulling me into a warm, technically cold because of her body temperature, and friendly embrace. I returned the embrace quickly, fond of how Alice was careful not to crush me with the amount of strength she produced.

"Alice, you remember Damon." I cleared my throat as I pulled away from her, watching as her expression hardened, the gold in her eyes becoming a shade darker, a solid butterscotch. I heard another noise come from Damon, but I couldn't directly distinguish it, keeping my attention on Alice. I was surprised to feel Damon's fingers slip through mine, almost possessively, it seemed, but I didn't question. "So, um, what's my... what's my surprise?" It took me off guard on how even my voice sounded, despite my hatred for surprises. Alice flashed a big, toothy smile, her perfect white teeth sparkling under the florescent lighting. But said nothing. I heard the sound of the backdoor opening, and then gently closing; I wondered if Jenna had gone outside. But as my head turned, due to Damon's increasing tenseness, my eyes widened - bulging from my skull, and then a bright smile illuminated my face. I took in the sight of the broad, lean yet muscular male with snow white skin, a slanted smile, caramel eyes, and honey blonde hair.

"Hello ma'am." A deep Southern-accented voice said.

"You... Alice, you brought-"

"Damon?" The Southern voice interrupted. "Damon Salvatore?" I didn't like the way that his voice hardened, almost icily, but there was a softness that showed me it was okay. Somewhat. Mentally, I cringed, because that was the only place I was safe in the presence of three vampires. "I-I thought you ... Your father ... How.."

"Are you going to finish any of these sentences?" Damon was back to his arrogant, cocky self in seconds. I turned my head, glowering at him.

"You two know each other?" Alice and I said simultaneously.

Slowly, Damon and Jasper Hale nodded.

* * *

**AN: **surprise!

I have been giving this serious thought, and I'm going to call this story to an end, but not any time soon. I plan to cut it when it comes to introducing Klaus, as himself, and not in Alaric's body. And then, I might make a part 2, I haven't decided _that far_. So what do you think? Are you surprised to have Jasper here? Should I send him away, or should we get to know a little more of Damon and Jazz, keep him here for Alice's sake? Let me know!

xoxo.


	20. The Glimpse of Damon Salvatore

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

"Alice?" I called softly, knowing she was able to hear me with her intensified hearing, as I walked into the house with Damon closely at my side.

"Upstairs." I heard my best friend's chirpy voice sing-song, and I automatically smiled. Damon's postured tensed, I noticed from the corner of my eye, and I held my breath, wondering why he suddenly acted this way. I didn't even hear Alice's light footsteps as she danced her way down the stairs, appearing at my side, pulling me into a warm, technically cold because of her body temperature, and friendly embrace. I returned the embrace quickly, fond of how Alice was careful not to crush me with the amount of strength she produced.

"Alice, you remember Damon." I cleared my throat as I pulled away from her, watching as her expression hardened, the gold in her eyes becoming a shade darker, a solid butterscotch. I heard another noise come from Damon, but I couldn't directly distinguish it, keeping my attention on Alice. I was surprised to feel Damon's fingers slip through mine, almost possessively, it seemed, but I didn't question. "So, um, what's my... what's my surprise?" It took me off guard on how even my voice sounded, despite my hatred for surprises. Alice flashed a big, toothy smile, her perfect white teeth sparkling under the florescent lighting. But said nothing. I heard the sound of the backdoor opening, and then gently closing; I wondered if Jenna had gone outside. But as my head turned, due to Damon's increasing tenseness, my eyes widened - bulging from my skull, and then a bright smile illuminated my face. I took in the sight of the broad, lean yet muscular male with snow white skin, a slanted smile, caramel eyes, and honey blonde hair.

"Hello ma'am." A deep Southern-accented voice said.

"You... Alice, you brought-"

"Damon?" The Southern voice interrupted. "Damon Salvatore?" I didn't like the way that his voice hardened, almost icily, but there was a softness that showed me it was okay. Somewhat. Mentally, I cringed, because that was the only place I was safe in the presence of three vampires. "I-I thought you ... Your father ... How.."

"Are you going to finish any of these sentences?" Damon was back to his arrogant, cocky self in seconds. I turned my head, glowering at him.

"You two know each other?" Alice and I said simultaneously.

Slowly, Damon and Jasper Hale nodded. Immediately, Alice and I looked at each other: how could either of us not know that the men we loved, knew each other. My thoughts flickered around, I didn't know much about Damon's past, and I didn't know anything about Jasper, either. When my gaze returned to the male vampires, they were staring at each other, but a better term would be _glaring_' Jasper's mouth was open a sliver, his white teeth peaking out for a small show. His eyes were charcoal, and his posture was tense, his body slowly arching; whereas Damon looked completely relaxed. The only thing that showed he wasn't too happy about the threatening look in Jasper's black eyes, was that the veins were beginning to pulse against his orbitals. Alice boldly took a step forward, placing her hand gently on her husband's shoulder, her head craned up, her eyes locked on his taut jaw.

"Jazz." My best friend whispered angelically. Jasper's body instantly calmed, as if he were using his own mood manipulation on himself.

"Sorry." I heard him mutter. I sidled up beside Damon, his arm went tightly around my waist as in automatic reaction. He squeezed lightly on my hip, but didn't take his eyes off Jasper; I'd never seen Jasper so angry before, I'd seen him hungry, of course, on my own birthday, but that's about it. But Damon. . . he was a different story. And yet, I wasn't afraid of either of them. No, I was afraid _for _them.

"Why don't we just . . . sit down." Alice insisted. "We have questions for you."

I tugged on Damon's arm as a response, and he reluctantly followed me to the couch. The four of us sat down, the married vampire couple across from Damon and I. Surely, we looked like a couple to my best friend, but in truth, I didn't even know what Damon and I were. There was time for questions about _us _later, after finding more about Damon and Jasper's past. Jasper had his arm around Alice securely, as if he didn't trust Damon in the room, while his back was ramrod straight. Alice looked a mixture of comfortable and uncomfortable with the way her husband was sitting, and I didn't blame her.

"How do you guys know each other?" I asked, breaking the silence. From the look on Damon and Jasper's faces, they enjoyed that no one was talking.

"We knew each other, back in the Civil War days." Jasper said.

My eyes narrowed, and I tilted my head so I was looking up at Damon. "I didn't know you were alive during the Civil War."

"I was born 1840 and turned in 1864; my father shot me and the baby brother." Damon said.

"We should share backstories." Alice said sarcastically, a roll of her eyes was shown.

"I would love to know more about you guys." I said quietly. "It's only fair... I know Rosalie, Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett's story..."

"I don't know..." Damon murmured softly.

"Why not, Damon? Shouldn't Bella know your vampire life? Your human life? After all, she's someone you care about. You love her. She should know the _real _you." Jasper's voice hardened as he spoke, and it caused my skin to break out in a rash of goosebumps as I flickered my attention to my best friend's beloved. I was tempted to sneak a peak at Damon, due to how silent he'd become; was he thinking it over?

"I don't _love _her." The elder Salvatore growled at Jasper. A sly smirk flickered at Jasper's lips as he leveled his gaze; as if saying that he knew otherwise. At first, I questioned, and then I realized that Jasper _felt _the emotions that Damon kept hidden, he _feels _the love that Damon didn't want me to know. He _knows _what's radiating from inside Damon. But Jasper didn't respond, settling back against the couch._  
_

"You feel something _for_ her." Jasper insisted. Damon sat back against the couch, I watched as he slowly clenched his teeth together. The muscles in his jaw became taut, and his grip tightened slightly on my hip. I'd almost forgotten that his arm was around my waist. "_I _can feel it, Damon. There is no way you can deny it, when I'm in the room."

"Why don't you ju-"

"Weren't you in love with someone the last time we met?" Jasper questioned. "Katherine, I believe her name was? And she died in a tragic fire? Is that what you're afraid of, that if you let yourself feel, you'll lose Bella?"

Damon's hand disappeared from my hip, and he was automatically on his feet, his hands balled into fists at his sides. Jasper grinned sheepishly, getting up as well, staring directly into Damon's eyes. Charcoal met ice. I shifted nervously, and uncomfortably, where I sat. What had he said that angered Damon so much? I thought it over, carefully picking through Jasper's choice of words.

"Wait," I gasped. "You knew _Katherine_ when you were _human_?"

"Yeah." Damon grit. _Can I know more about your life? _I wanted to ask, but I couldn't find the words, my tongue felt swollen in my mouth and my throat was dry. "Weren't you some vampire's _bitch _during the war era?" I could hear Damon smirking.

Jasper's facial expression completely changed as Damon's words sunk in, and I found myself unable to look away. Was a fight going to break out? Here, in the Gilber'ts living room? I looked at Alice, who was completely calm, with her eyes closed. She was probably doing her best to ignore them, which wasn't like Alice. I saw her as the peacekeeper.

"I think we should go, Alice." Jasper insisted, his tone sounded almost rude. Alice leaped to her feet, lacing her fingers intertwined tightly with Jasper's, her eyes popped open and immediately, she looked at me apologetically. I nodded in understanding; neither of us wanted the day to turn out this way. Jasper's arrival was supposed to be a surprise for me, and for her, so she was happier in Mystic Falls. I admit that I liked this surprise, she was right about that, but I should have told her that I was bringing Damon inside since he'd driven me home... Maybe there would have been a change in course, and she could have warned me that something like this would happen.

"Bye Jazz." I muttered as they fled from the house; I heard the faint slamming of the doors of the Porsche, and then they were gone. I looked at Damon, trying to bring myself to being mad at him, but he technically didn't do anything wrong. So I just mustered, "What the _hell _was that about?"

Damon turned to look at me, falling back to sitting on the couch, bringing his hands behind his head. "What was what?"

"You know exactly what, Damon." I sighed and resumed sitting beside him.

"I didn't feel like being invaded like that from your friend." He rolled his eyes with annoyance, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes back at him.

"Damon... Can I know about your life? Your relationships? I mean, you know what happened between me and Edward... It-It's only fair." I brought my legs up on the couch and hugged them close to my chest, chewing my bottom lip softly as I looked at him. I studied him carefully, his facial expression gave off absolutely nothing, and I suddenly wished that Jasper was still around so I could know what exactly he was feeling, and then I wished for Edward, so I could know what he was thinking. I cringed, mentally, at Edward's name in my thoughts. . . but things weren't so bad between us _now_.

"No." He finally answered.

"Damon, that's not. . . . no more secrets." I whispered. Damon sighed, and I knew that I had made a point. "I don't want you to hide things from me... especially something that has to do with _you_."

"Okay." He sighed again, in defeat. I tried not to grin. I loved the suddenness I had over Damon. "I was born here, in Mystic Falls, in 1840. My mother died when I was very young, and my father wasn't too fond of me throughout my entire existance. He would hate me even more, now, because I'm a vampire... I joined the army under my father's wishes..."

"What was your relationship with Stefan like?" I asked, recalling how hostile his attitude was.

"We were best friends." Damon admitted.

"What changed that?" I muttered.

"Katherine." He didn't look at me, and I let my eyes wander around the Gilbert's living room. "She came to live with us after she'd lost her family, in 1864. She was very beautiful - looks exactly like Elena." He looked at me, just to see my reaction, as I just stared at him, "Elena is Katherine's doppelgänger." he added quickly. "Only, we had been very smitten with her at the time. We didn't know she was a vampire, but we both loved her very much. Or at least, we thought that we loved her... That was all apart of Katherine's games, her compulsion, but according to her, she only compelled us after we found out her secret of her being a vampire."

I couldn't resist, "Have you ever ... compelled ... _me_?"

"No." Damon answered almost too quicky. _Liar_, I thought immediately to myself, but didn't dare say anything out loud. "Anyway. My father was very fond of Katherine, having her around... It wasn't until April, that things got complicated, when there was killings, and the Founder's Council believed it to be the work of vampires. Long story short, my father used our love for Katherine to find out that she was a vampire - they rounded up twenty seven vampires and trapped them in Fell's Church. Only, learning in present day, that the vampires were never actually burned, but trapped in a tomb under the church remains for 145 years."

"Wow." I mouthed.

"I spent 145 years loving a woman that never actually truly loved me. I found that out, the hard way." Damon's voice frightened me, the way that he was speaking, I knew it wasn't intentional that the hatred was building in his voice. Hard like stone, cold as ice. But it was surpressed emotions, or that is what I'm assuming. "I died for Katherine, for_ nothing_... And once I completed the transition, I promised my brother an eternity of misery for betraying Katherine."

"Wow, I'm sorry, Damon." I frowned.

His automatic reaction was to shrug. "it's whatever."

"When did you stop... loving Katherine?" I couldn't help but ask, lowering my gaze to look at the couch, afraid to see the look on his face at my question.

"At first, it was when I found out that Katherine was alive, and not in the tomb. She had been out and about for the longest time, and didn't even come looking for me." Damon's voice softened, but only slightly. "But I officially stopped loving Katherine, only recently. When I found out that it was only Stefan that she loved... She never loved me. It was a trick - her trick."

I was utterly speechless; that must have been hard on him. It took me a few minutes to regain composure, bringing myself to ask, "How did you know Jasper?"

"After I'd been turned into a vampire, I left Mystic Falls, traveling South of Virginia. After a while, I ended up in Texas. That's where I met another vampire named Maria. She tried getting me to join this ... this army. But I rejected her, telling her that not only was I creeped out by her freaky red eyes, but I didn't want to fight until I was dead. It didn't sound entertaining. Then she persuaded me to stay along. I, then, figured I'd give it a try... Only because she reminded me of Katherine, in more ways than you could imagine." Damon began.

I stared at him. "Maria?"

"She was a vicious woman. Jasper, your little buddy, was her second-in-command. He killed off the other vampires that no longer brought use to Maria." Damon explained softly, experimenting with my reactions. "I met him once or twice, we became comrads, fighting together. He got to know about Katherine, and I saw the love he thought he had for Maria - it reminded me of myself, as I think about it now."

I bit my lip, unsure of how to respond. So I let him continue.

"I grew bored of fighting, so I left for Mystic Falls in 1912." Damon let out a deep breath, "Only to find more drama back home, but that's a story for another day."

"Thank you, for sharing this stuff with me." I smiled. Damon leaned close to me, touching my chin lightly with his index finger, his smile was seductive and the look in his eyes was mesmorizing. I wanted to kiss him, desperately, but I wanted _him _to make the first move on _me_. I liked it when he did, mainly because I didn't know how to take control of an intimate situation.

"Only because I trust you." Damon whispered, breath-like.

And then he kissed me, slowly and softly.

* * *

**AN: **there will be more to Jasper and Damon's story, I promise. I just wanted to get this next chapter done. I hope you guys liked it.


	21. The Real Surprise

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One**

Later that afternoon, I met up with Alice at the Mystic Grill, she called me up after my little rendezvous with Damon. There had not been any heated, almost passionate sex in the Gilbert's living room; we got interrupted by Damon alerting me that Jenna was coming downstairs - she had started walking around to ease the pain, but was careful not to rip her stitches. Damon and I had parted, his quick thinking was turning on the television to watch something on Netflix; The Nightmare Before Christmas: Damon claimed that he'd never seen the movie before, and I called him insane. But then I took it back when he explained he moved around a lot before settling back in Mystic Falls several months before my arrival, and somewhere along the brief period, I asked for more detail for his relationship with Stefan, his father, and what he was like in his first years of being a vampire - remembering Edward's story on how he used to be before he adopted into the animal-blood diet. Prior to meeting Alice, I had asked Damon to drive me there, and this gave me time to talk to him; I asked him what had happened to Katherine, and that I had seen her at the Masquerade ball that took place at the Lockwood's. Damon had reassured me that she wouldn't be bothering anyone in Mystic Falls for a while, and I believed him, but there was also a part of me -since I didn't ask how she wouldn't be bothering — that felt like she could be impersonating Elena at any given moment. I was a little sad when Damon didn't give me a kiss, even on the cheek, as I climbed out the Camaro when he pulled up in front of Mystic Grill, but he did give me a charming smile, which received a warm returning smile and a wave, before walking inside the small building. It had been hard to find Alice, given to how tiny she was, but I managed to spot her sitting at one of the tables close to the pool area, not too far from where Caroline and Stefan had taken a seat; coincidence?

"I'm sorry about what happened with Jasper." Alice murmured as she took a sip of the water that had been brought to her when she arrived to the table.

"It's okay." I smiled reassuringly.

"What happened between you and Damon after we left?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously; had she foreseen something that might not have actually happened?

"He told me a little more about him, and that he fought along side Jasper after he had been turned.." I kept it vague, unsure if Damon wanted anyone else to know about him, especially someone like Alice.

"Oh." I watched as she nodded slowly, taking a slow sip of her water, which was strange for me to see; in all the time that I've known the Cullen's, they _never _actually ate human food. They only _bought_ food at school, to keep up with the human appearances, let alone drink something so simple as water. I thought back to the many occasions where Damon, Stefan, and Caroline ate human food with no problem, it didn't even seem like it bothered them in the slightest; what honestly made them so different?

"So, what happened with you and Jasper?" I raised an eyebrow. "Where is he, anyway?"

"We drove around town, and talked, we missed each other a lot. And we plan on spending a lot of time together while you're at school... But I am keeping him away from Damon, for as long as possible, and try not to have them bump into each other." Alice said, and this time, I was the one who was nodding. So, did this mean that Jasper intended on staying for a long period of time, to be with his wife? That's thoughtful. Again, I thought back to Edward, this time it was how he showed up at the Masquerade ball, completely unexpected, trying to get me to return back to Forks with him - but, where would Jasper be staying? Jenna doesn't have a problem with Alice sleeping over for the time being. . . but Jasper? I don't think she'd be very fond of that, neither would Alaric.

"Anyway, Alice, I-"

"I have something to show you." Alice interrupted, a smile flickering.

"Jasper wasn't my surprise, was he?" I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Nope!" Her gold eyes turned a shade brighter, and I couldn't help but smile at her. We rose to our feet, she put a few dollars bills for gratitude service, even though we hadn't ordered any food and Alice had only been brought a water when she first arrived; we walked out to her Porsche in silence. She turned on the radio, Pink's _Fucking Perfect_ was in the midst of playing, as she pulled the car away from the curb and drove down the narrow streets of Mystic Falls' town square. I had grown so accustom to Damon's smooth, relaxed but fast driving, that I'd forgotten all about the Cullen's _need_ for over-the-top, break-the-limit speeding. I watched out the window, as we whirl past the thick forests, patting my hands against my thighs, wondering where Alice was taking me. No words were exchanged, but this was a comfortable silence, just like I had whenever things grew quiet with Damon; I let my eyes fall shut.

When I opened my eyes again, we were coasting down an unfamiliar road, receiving a few cautious glances from bystanders as they caught a glimpse of the Porsche slowing as we possibly reached our destination. None of these houses, or these faces, looked familiar to me, but it wasn't as spaciously parted like in Elena's neighbors. I craned my neck a little, seeing that we had crossed the bridge, which meant that we were possibly close to the Salvatore's, but as I recalled, Damon said they didn't have neighbors for a long while. I looked over at Alice, whose eyes were focused on the road, her hands gripped so tightly on the steering wheel that her knuckles were turning whiter than bone. Where could she be taking me? Were we going on a little road trip out of Mystic Falls? I let my eyes linger on the dirt road that leads to the Salvatore Boarding House, but we were too quick to let me look any longer. I slumped in the buttery leather seat, tucking my hair behind my ear, a small yawn escaping my lips; I figured not to ask Alice, as she would want to keep it a surprise, and that we would probably be there in a short enough span of time.

"We're here." Alice chimed in her bell-like voice. I sat up straight in the seat, looking to see that we'd parked in front of a small, quaint one story home with dark wood paneling, peaks in the roof, and a front porch. I looked behind me, to see that we'd coasted up a long, tree-lined dirt driveway, then faced the house again, slumping my shoulders.

"What is this place?" My eyes flickered to Alice.

"Our new home." Her perfect smile faintly sparkled under the sunlight, just like her shimmering diamond skin. It was hard not to squint at how beautiful my friend truly was, and I bit my lip, taking a quick look around the property as much as I could from where I sat, before settling my gaze back on Alice. From what I gathered, there was no neighbors around for miles; there was a lot of open space and woods. Perfect, for my vegetarian, sparkling pixie friend. "Or, it will be, once I sign for it."

"Are you —this is — I—"

"Shut up, Bella! You haven't even seen the inside yet!" She trilled melodically. I blushed a deep crimson; we both climbed out of the Porsche and closed the doors together, rounding to the front of the car, and linking arms like true best girlfriends. We strode together in sync toward what shall be our new home, I was surprised by how _in step _I was with Alice, due to my lack of coordination. Alice stuck her free hand into the pocket of her beige trench coat that I recalled her wearing the night she came to tell me that she'd seen a vision of me supposedly trying to kill myself by cliff jumping, which was a shock to me since the Cullen's rarely wore the same thing twice.

I watched as Alice unlocked the front door, and then, we were inside. Alice gave me a brief tour of the house, it was three bedroom farm-house —maybe it was a cottage? Alice wasn't very descriptive about that part— with two bathrooms, a small kitchen, dining room, spacious living room with a fireplace, and a narrow hallway that goes off to the bedrooms and bathroom in the hallway. Either way, I loved the house, and it was perfect for me, her, and Jasper to live in. . . I looked at Alice, and opened my mouth, but she caught me off before I could even take a breath.

"Yes, you can have Damon over." She smiled, a smile so similar to Edward's. I narrowed my eyes, and then realized I'd been thinking about having Damon around ever since Edward had mentioned to me that Alice was thinking of buying a house here — but how could she have bought a house _so_ quickly? She arrived not too long ago. But then again, anything was possible when it came to the Cullen's, with their remarkable beauty and charm.

"I thought you didn't like Damon." I mumbled, letting my feet take me down the little hallway to check out the bedrooms.

"He makes you happy, Bella." Alice's bell voice rang after me. "And I'm sure I can keep Jasper under control if he's around when Damon's here."

"Makes me feel _a lot _better." I muttered under my breath, peaking into one of the bedrooms, my eyes roaming around before closing the door and moving on to the next room, repeating my actions until I looked in all three bedrooms, and the bathroom; the second bathroom was linked to one of the bedrooms. "So, when are we actually moving into this wonderful house?"

"As soon as possible; be sure to bring it up to Jenna and Alaric." Alice sounded like she was in one of the bedrooms from how close her voice sounded.

"I will when you drop me back off at the house." I left the current room I was in and found Alice in the room next to the hallway bathroom.

"Do you like this house?" Alice asked as she turned to face me, her gold eyes flickering around. "We have a lot of redecorating once we officially move in." She commented softly to herself, folding her thin arms across her chest. I couldn't help but smile; I was definitely going to let Alice have as much fun as possible in making this feel like home — but I couldn't help but wonder if she'd call in a few favors from Rosalie, Emmett, or Edward — or even Esme, in the decorating process. I thought of how she'd pretty much out-done herself when she decorated the Cullen's house for my birthday. It was a good party, minus the small mishap with Jasper trying to attack me.

"I — Alice, are you — are you kidding? I _love _this house." I threw my arms around her small frame and hugged her tight, Alice gladly returned the embrace.

"I'm glad you do, Bella." Alice said softly against my shoulder as we continued to hug. "Come on, we should head back."

"Alright." We parted, Alice took the key out of her trench coat pocket, and we walked outside to the Porsche. I sat in the car while she locked up, and took one last glance at our new home before lowering herself into the Porsche, jamming the keys into the ignition, starting up the engine, and making a small U-turn to exit the property.

I ended up being driven to the Salvatore Boarding House, as it was a much shorter drive from where our new home resided, over the Gilbert's. Alice's eyes widened as she took in the interior of Stefan and Damon's home, and I could tell that my friend was instantly impressed, which probably gave me a new found hope that Alice was going to be a little kinder to them for absolutely no reason — but it was a long shot. She pulled up in front of the porch, I climbed out, carefully walking up the steps, not wanting to make a sound so I could surprise Damon as much as possible, bidding a small wave in Alice's direction.

I watched the Porsche disappear from the property. I held my breath, slowly opening the front door, and tiptoeing inside, taking my bottom lip between my teeth and _chewing_ gently, nervously. My brain racked with millions of thoughts, and my heart nervously stuttered inside of my chest — what if Damon didn't like that I was surprising him? I listened as I stood in the foyer of the Salvatore Boarding House, I picked up a female's voice with my faint human hearing, and bit harder down on my bottom lip. Slowly, my feet brought me to standing close by where the wall disappearing and let me into the open space of the grand living room, but I refused to look over, my heart suddenly pounding harshly inside of my chest. A nervous tick rushed through my veins, and I closed my eyes, hoping it would help me focus on the conversation in the living room. My skin warmed, there was heat radiating from inside, which probably meant there was a fire going, and I got my answer as I heard the crackling of burning wood, I tried taking a deep breath, but it was hard to.

"It's a lie, you know." The female had a voice almost as angelic as Alice. "There's no switch you can turn off." I waited, Damon didn't say anything and she continued, "Sure when you're a newbie, but after a couple of hundred years... you just have to pretend." Damon didn't say anything, or rather they were interrupted by the ringing of someone's cell phone. I squeezed my eyes shut tight, trying to sift through the many layers that blended through my mind, trying to figure out what this woman was talking about. "Hello?"

The room fell silent, which meant the person on the other line was talking, to the woman.

"Slater? Are you okay?" I picked up the hint of an Old English accent, or_ some_ kind of accent, one that didn't necessarily belong with this century.

The woman was silent again, and I counted how many breaths it took before she started speaking again. I got to thirteen.

"No, I'm sorry to involved you." She apologized.

This made me think what she could have involved some person for, and why on earth would she be apologizing? But then again, I knew nothing about her, who she was talking to, and what had happened today while I was out with Alice.

"Okay, what did you find?" She asked the person on the other line, I slowly slid my foot forward, but didn't dare to move where I had my back pressed against the wall. I hated eavesdropping, but what I would hate more, is if Damon physically knew that I was standing here, listening and waiting for some kind of information before barging into the living room. "How? What do you mean? I don't follow." The woman continued after the person had probably finished talking, giving her whatever _she_ needed to know.

After a few beats, Damon's voice floated into the conversation, "Yes."

"Yes, he can get it. What next?" The woman inquired, and then the room was abruptly silent. It sounded as if she had gotten off the phone; I slowly moved myself away from the wall and turned, craning my head to peer inside the living room, and my eyes immediately widened. Curled up on the floor by the fireplace, looking as if they were almost _cuddling_, was Damon and a woman with fair skin, a pixie cut similar to Alice's, and green eyes. As I stepped closer, slowly and gingerly, I could see that Damon was shirtless and the female was in a black _lingerie _set. My throat dried and my heart swelled, feeling as if it would pop like an enlarged balloon, inside of my chest. My stomach knotted, twisting and churning, I thought I was going to be sick. I leaned against the wall, my hand over my heart, as I suddenly found it hard to breathe — I couldn't believe my eyes. Had Damon **really** gotten cozy with someone else? Had he_ slept_ with someone else? I was so. . . _foolish_.

I realized for the second time.

And with this realization, I spun on my heel, stumbling over my own two feet as I trekked out of the house, not bothering to look back to see if Damon or the female acknowledged that I had shown up at the house. I didn't stop to try and catch my breath, I found no point. I didn't feel like breathing. I knew I was overreacting, but this was the second time I felt a small pang of betrayal from Damon, especially for thinking that he did care about me — forget that he told me he _loved_ me. Could it really be true, if he'd compelled me to _forget_? I couldn't . . . I could barely process anything, as I forced myself to run down to the bridge without stopping, without checking my phone for any missed calls, without doing anything but running. My heart raced, accelerating, and adrenaline pumped through my veins, but I felt like I couldn't move fast enough, like I wasn't running anywhere. No matter how much I ran, I was never getting anywhere. I barely noticed the tears streaming down my face, but I didn't even care, I ran over the bridge, my hair whipping me in the face, getting stuck in my mouth, but I didn't bother to move it away, I didn't want any kind of distraction.

I hated Damon Salvatore, and I never wanted to see him again. I didn't want to feel this hurt. Not again.

This time, I was done.

I wasn't going back on my word, I vow silently as I push myself running faster, heading straight for the Gilbert house.


	22. No More Secrets, Remember?

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two**

I was lucky that neither Alaric or Jenna were anywhere downstairs, and I was thankful for this. I didn't feel like dealing with them again, like I had done when I came home from the Salvatore Boarding House —yet again—, the day I had lost my virginity to him; at that thought I immediately shuddered, a punch straight to my heart as I found myself regretting that decision in trusting Damon. As soon as I was in the room, I slammed the door behind me, rubbing my eyes with the sleeve of my shirt, wiping away the tears as I fell face-first onto the mattress, burying my head in the pillows: a short nap soon followed, but I was waken by the sound of someone coming upstairs. I rose up from the bed, peaking through the door to see that it was Alaric and Jenna; I swallowed the remaining sob and stepped out into the hallway, they looked startled to see me, I was usually never here anymore or holed up in the room.

"Can I talk to you, Aunt Jenna?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"Of course, Bella." She smiled warmly, her eyes flickering to Alaric before settling on me again.

"Well, I was out with Alice today, a—and she showed me something. . . She bought a h-house, for the both of us to live in." I was surprised at how nervous I sounded, when there was nothing to be nervous about. Maybe it was the leftover reels of emotions from Damon and the pixie-haired female back at the Boarding House, not that I blamed myself, and it still hurt, like it was a fresh open wound, and in a way, it was, because of how strongly I felt for him.

"That's great." Jenna chimed, I started to make a confused but wounded face. "Well, you know what I mean. I didn't mean to make that sound bad, Bella. I feel bad that Alice is cooped here and not much for her to do." A frown quirked Jenna's lips.

"Will you, be stopping by, a lot?" Alaric inquired.

"As much as I can, Ric." I smiled at my history teacher — this caused an unsettling feeling deep in the pit of my stomach. It was strange, I don't know how Elena and Jeremy were able to handle this. I looked between the two of them, and swallowed. "Jenna, I feel bad that I took over your room, especially after you got your stitches. You can have your room tonight... I don't think I'm going to be here much longer, anyway."

"Bella, you don't have to— "

"Seriously, Jenna." I interrupted kindly with a politer smile. "I insist. I feel so bad. I have no problem sleeping on the couch."

"Okay, Bella." she sighed in defeat. "Are you taking your bags out?"

"Would you like me to?" I bit my lip, and Jenna shrugged as if saying, _it's up to you_. I went downstairs, and I could hear Jenna and Alaric entering the bedroom. I glanced out the window, seeing that it was a little after dusk; I flopped to laying on the couch, my face buried against the cushion, my torso rising and falling unevenly. I felt my phone vibrating in the pocket of my jeans, which told me that I hadn't put it on the bedside table before taking my small nap, like I'd thought I did. I was proud of myself by the way I'd pulled myself together after the Damon incident, but I didn't dwell on it, as I let my eyes fall shut once more, drifting easily to sleep. My body was overly tired, but not my mind.

When I woke up the second time, it was completely dark out and there were no lights on throughout the Gilbert house. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes gingerly with my fist like a small child, tucking my legs into an Indian-sitting position, then dropped my hands into my lap, swallowing hard as I looked around the dark first floor of the house as far as my weak human vision could go. My phone went off for what was probably the hundredth time in my pocket, which finally brought me to taking my phone from my pocket, checking the messages and missed phone calls — all from Damon. My breath caught in my throat and my heart slowed, I was debating whether or not to actually check them or just delete them. I was in no mood for Damon, and usually when it came to messages from Damon, especially this many, it ended up actually being near Damon; which was something that I did not want, as of earlier today. I was hoping he'd get the hint that I didn't want to talk to him, but my pulse quickened as a new message from Damon rolled in, popping up on my phone screen, I bit my lip, cursing myself silently as I clicked on **VIEW**.

**Damon: **_I swear to God, Isabella. Answer me! Why have you ignored me ALL day! I get that you were with Alice, but COME ON. This is getting annoying!_

I hesitated in answering Damon's text message, had I really worried him that much by not talking to him? Whatever the reason, it didn't change the fact that he'd been with that girl back at the Boarding House. It was strange of me, but I felt overly jealous, and possessive of Damon. Despite my decision to never see him again. Those feelings won't go away, I know that for a fact, even if I don't talk to him for the rest of my human life. My finger hovered over the **YES** button for deleting the message, I breathed in slowly, holding my breath before letting out that breath through my nose, I could feel my insides quivering, my body growing anxious but I didn't know the reason. I tapped the button, stretching out my legs so that I lounged across the couch, using my arm for support as I stared blankly at the television. The knot from earlier returned, and tightened, it tugged rapidly, and I almost felt sick to my stomach; I wanted to throw up. But the bile never rose, thus I didn't have to leave this comfortable position on the couch, I could continue staring at the black screen of the TV.

I sat up immediately when I heard a faint tapping sound, jolting from the couch and moving tentatively around the living room to find myself a source of lighting so it wasn't so dark, and I could figure out what the noise was. I flicked on the nearest lamp, looking around, but it didn't sound like it came from inside. Biting my lip, I walked cautiously toward the window, cupping my hands around my eyes, peering through the glass onto the front lawn of the Gilbert home, my eyes flickering around, but there was no sign of life anywhere. I gasped loudly when I felt someone's warm hand press against my neck, I pushed away from the window, spinning on my heel, my immediate reaction was punching whoever this was in the jaw. I flinched and yelped, holding my hand to my chest as I stepped back, when my vision cleared, focusing on whom I had punched.

"Was that supposed to hurt?" Damon's eyebrows raised questionably.

"Yes." I grit through my teeth and dropped my hand to my side, taking another step back.

"Why have you been avoiding me, Dodgy?" he asked casually, grabbing a bottle of Bourbon that was placed under one of the stands on the side of the couch closest to us. I watched as he twisted off the cap and took a swig from the bottle, then I looked around the living room, waiting for him to say something — I wanted to know why he intruded, why I was _looking _at him. . . guess he really couldn't take a hint, even though I'd been sleeping all this time, unintentionally avoiding talking to him. I refused to answer him, until I got answers of my own. "Alright then," Damon started walking around the living room, his eyes never leaving me.

"Why are you here, Damon?" I bit the inside of my cheek, folding my arms across my chest firmly.

"You haven't answered me all day. I wanna know why." Another swig of Bourbon was taken from the bottle, I eyed him carefully. Was he drunk, or on his way to being drunk, this late at night?

"I've been sleeping." I said truthfully. "I fell asleep, as soon as I got home from hanging out with Alice."

"And, where'd you guys go?" Damon put the cap back on the bottle and placed it where he'd found it, swiftly moving so that he was standing directly in front of me.

"Our new house." I blurted, staring at him, trying my very hardest to keep my eyes locked with his. But even that, would be a mistake. He knew how to draw me in.

"You're leaving the Gilbert's? The eyebrows raised again, making his eyes look more clear and more icy, but there was no solidity.

"Get out of here, Damon." I demanded. "You're not supposed to be here, it's—"

"I know it's late, Bella. But I wanted to know why you were ignoring me." Damon sighed, interrupting me. . . that habit of his.

I rolled my eyes and replied, "It couldn't have waited until morning?" He shook his head and sat down on the couch, bringing his hands behind his head and propping his feet on the coffee table. I grit my teeth, tightening my arms over my chest, firmly pressing my heel against the wooden floor of the living room, glaring at Damon. It was so hard to stay mad at him, especially when he looked so casual, but then my thoughts flickered to seeing him and that random woman at the Boarding House. Instantly, my fury returned, and my blood boiled with rage. "Get. Out."

"What's wrong?" Damon looked at me — he seemed so innocent. I believed that he didn't know what he'd done wrong to receive such a cold attitude. He dropped his hands to his lap, slouching forward, his eyes boring into mine, trying to find any trace as no words were spoken between us; I swallowed hard, not taking my eyes away from his, not wanting to look away. I wanted him to get his own answers. "Bella?" his voice dropped, he murmured his words softly.

"Leave, Damon." I dug my nails into the skin of my forearm gently.

I watched as he stood up from the couch, but didn't move from where he stood, we only looked at each other. "Not until you tell me, what I did wrong, Bella."

I hated how genuine his voice sounded. . . it made it all the more harder to stay mad at him. Damon didn't know that I'd seen him and that woman, so here we were, with him being completely innocent until I fessed up to coming by the Salvatore Boarding House, to surprise him, only to get another surprise of my own, along with my heart being ripped from my chest at the sight of them so close together, so little clothed. At this moment, I wished he was like Edward, and I wished I wasn't a mental mute to all mind-based abilities, so he would be able to pick through my brain and now what I was thinking about, to know how furious I was, or I was trying to be, and he'd know that I had come by earlier. Maybe that would have given him time to prep for my arrival, getting rid of the mystery woman so we weren't standing exactly where we were, right now. One eye narrowed slightly, as he looked at me, I wasn't sure if he was squinting, but either way, I took this time to just walk through the front door, closing it after me, standing close to the steps and staring at the dark street, my eyes roaming around the front yard. I wasn't surprised to hear that the front door opened, and then closed, barely making a sound.

"Bella." His voice was softer than before, if even possible.

"Don't, Damon." My voice was just as quiet as his had fallen to, finally looking away from him, focusing my attention on the ground rubbing my arm gently.

"Why not?"

I kept my eyes on the ground, swallowing hard. There were so many things I wanted to say, and do. But I couldn't figure out how to put them. In truth, I was scared. Scared of how Damon would react when, and if, I told him that I saw the woman today. Scared that Damon might have changed his feelings toward me,_ because_ of this woman. Scared that one day, he'll just disappear, the same way Edward had done after the incident with Jasper, for my protection. Jacob, too, had left me, in his own way, until I figured out what he was hiding from me. I had no room to lose the people I loved, and cared about, because at one point, they _will _leave me — but I want to prevent that from happening with Damon. I took a small deep breath, my eyes slowly lifting as I saw a figure standing in front of me: Damon. He was standing on the patio while I remained on the porch, our eyes met, but I forced myself to look away almost immediately; I didn't want to look at him. I was already going back on my word, such short hours later.

"I get it." Damon finally said, I saw through the tips of my eyelashes that Damon was starting to slowly take steps back away from the house.

I watched as Damon turned his back to me, walking down the patio toward where I noticed he'd parked his car. At least he was acting human, driving around instead of showing up at random places, at random times, the way Edward had when we first started seeing each other — Damon walked without turning his head to look at me, and I couldn't stop myself from walking down the steps, striding toward him, but I finally managed to grasp a hold of myself, stopping dead in my tracks when I was so close to the Camaro, so close to Damon, and I could tell that he knew I'd gone after him, as he stopped in his tracks to. I waited. It took seventeen breaths before he finally turned to look at me; I tucked my hair behind my ear, training my eyes on him as best as I could through the darkness, trying to steady my heart rate. I could feel him looking at me, looking into my eyes.

"I saw her." I whispered.

"Saw who?" His voice was flat, monotone.

"That girl, at the Boarding House. In your living room." I swallowed a breath. Damon was silent, for a moment. I counted thirty breaths, before I heard him let out a breath of his own — he was thinking this over, long and hard, I suppose. And that hurt me, was he thinking of a way to lie his way out of this? So there was no damage to what we'd put together?

"Rose." He mumbled, more to himself than me. I nearly choked on my own breath, my heart taking off like helicopter blades inside of my chest. _Rose_? What was it about these woman, with the flowered name, that makes them so enchanting, so alluring, that they can have _any _guy that they fucking wanted — first Edward, and now Damon, who's next? It's just a God damn pattern. I can't win.

"Did you. . . sleep with her?" I whispered weakly under my breath, knowing he could hear me.

"Yes."

I felt the fresh tears stinging behind my moistening brown eyes, my heart beating faster than ever. That wasn't what I wanted to hear — I was hoping that he'd have the courtesy of lying to me, the very least, to spare my feelings, to spare _everything_. I was ready to go off the rails with him, ready to tell him that he could have lied to me, when I remembered that I didn't want any secrets between us: that really does bite you in the ass, doesn't it?

"Go." I found my voice, not too long after I gathered myself. "Now."

"Bella, I—"

"Now, Damon. I don't want to see you, _ever again_."

I tried my hardest not to cry in front of him, it pained me just to think those words, let alone say them _out loud _to the man I had fallen so hard for, in such a short amount of time. I watched as his expression hardened, and I could tell that struck something in him. But what surprised me, was the way his façade instantly crumbled right before me, there was a glassy look that shone in his stony eyes. I swallowed hard, clenching my teeth, remembering how angry I was with him, I could feel my muscles tightening with fury, and I wanted nothing more than to hurt him until I broke every bone in my body, or at least run him over with his car until his head dislocated from his neck. It was unexpected, and it was sudden, but I didn't like this feeling. . . I wasn't this kind of person, but it just _happened_.

Damon disappeared, leaving his Camaro behind for the whole neighbor hood to see in the morning. I stood at the edge of the Gilbert property, dropping to my knees, my emotions getting the best of me, crashing down on me like an avalanche of boxes falling from a top shelf, crushing every part of me, I felt like I would break. The tears were hot down my cheeks, and just like earlier, I didn't bother wiping them away, I didn't bother pulling my hair away from my mouth, I felt the numbness slipping into my veins, paralyzing me as I was kneeling on the ground.

As much as I fucking hated Damon Salvatore, I still loved him. Yet, I never wanted to see him again, and at the same time, I wanted to have his arms wrapped around me while I cried, held tightly in his warm embrace, where he would not judge me for the way I reacted, all would be forgiven, only this time, I knew both of us had done/said things that didn't mean anything.

Honestly, what is wrong, with all of us. . . ?


	23. Absent

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Despite my decision to send him away, to never see him again, with every moment passing, I found myself longing for the nearness of _my _Salvatore, _my _Damon, the one I've grown to love, to know his story, his pain. I knew it was what had to be done, as I was not able to trust him, to trust the _womanizer_ I've acknowledged him to be. But things didn't change, my attachment to him was still strong — possibly stronger than ever. I wasn't sure how I'd been able to keep myself together, as much as I had been able to when talking to Jenna and Alaric the night I'd said goodbye to Damon, possibly forever, because of the constant reminders that were all around me that he existed, that everything that's happened, was for a reason, just like my departure from Forks and arrival to Mystic Falls. I could barely stand to be in the Gilbert's house, barely step _foot _outside, the memory I tried so hard to suppress, of me telling Damon to leave, was like the scar on my wrist, it hurt just as much, it still burned like a salted open wound. Neither would I be able to forget. But, thankfully, as much as I hated to leave the Gilbert home, I was able to escape the pain only two weeks after Alice had shown me the little farm house/cottage, where we got the expected visit from Esme due to how much she loved decorating and designing. Only after the house was finished, I was allowed to officially move in with Alice and Jasper; and from what I remember how the house looked _before _Alice and Esme had gotten a hold of it, it was quaint and homey, old fashioned. But now, with their expertise touches, there was no new paint jobs, but plenty of new furnishings, to make it like the Cullen home back in Forks. And strangely, I loved it, thanks to how much I'd grown to admire their home while I'd been with Edward. Although, as much as I loved Alice and Esme, I had become fond of the. . . Salvatore Boarding House, every inch of that house, was perfect.

But the days were all the same: I'd go to school, carry myself through the day without having a break down, come home, have a little time with Alice, do my homework, read my book of the day since I ended up finishing a whole novel after an hour or two because I was not interrupted, make dinner, hang out in the living room with Alice and Jasper, talk to Charlie on the phone for a while, then go to bed. It wasn't very productive, I passed up every opportunity of leaving because I feared that I might bump into Damon if I chose to leave with Alice or Jasper, or even to hang out with Elena. I only talked to Elena in school, and the occasional Matt Donovan; I considered him a friend of mine now. I was working on a friendship with Caroline, too, and Tyler, but that was only because he reminded me so much of Jacob. I avoided talking to Stefan at all costs, there was nothing I could do about being near him since we had some classes together — just_ looking_ at him, reminded me of Damon. I admit that it's nice to have Alice and Jasper around, it's nice to talk to Charlie more often than I did while living with the Gilbert's. . . I just feel more comfortable in that house, but I wish I could say the same about being anywhere else, especially in my own skin.

"Bella?" I heard Alice's musical voice inquire from the opposite side of my bedroom door. I dog-ear the page I'm on in _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ by Oscar Wilde, and close the book, putting it at my side as I tuck my legs more underneath my body, glancing up and seeing that Alice entered without asking for my permission, not that she needed it. A smile illuminated her flawless face, and her eyes were a dark shade of caramel, pretty soon they'd be close to eclipsing black. "Me and Jasper are going for a hunt, we'll be back in a few hours. . . I was thinking you could have Elena or Matt over, so you're not lonely." I watched as her bottom lip twitch slightly.

"Er, I don't know, Alice..." My voice trailed gently.

" I feel bad about leaving you here, and so does Jasper." Alice kept her eyes on me, studying me intently. Probably waiting for me to crack, that's what she always did, whenever talking to me — she knew how torn up I was about losing Damon, but I'd done this to myself, I'd caused this pain on, inflicted it, and every choice has it's own consequences.

"You don't need to, Alice. I'm perfectly content with being alone." Suddenly, I felt like I was talking to Charlie, as I recalled having a similar conversation with him when I'd still been living in Forks. He didn't like leaving me home so much, but I told him that I didn't mind, and that it was good of him to being going out with Harry Clearwater and the rest of his friends, fishing, which was something that I strongly detested. There were days that he tried getting me to go with him, during the early stages of visiting him, but he'd given up on that the moment I arrived in Forks, what seemed permanently at the time.

"Are you sure you don't wanna have Elena stop by? Or, you could go see them..." Alice offered.

"I'm sure, Alice. I'll be fine." I put on my reassuring smile for my best female friend.

"Okay." She sighed in defeat, turning on her heel and sauntering out of the room, closing the door behind her. Moments later, I heard the soft whispers of her and Jasper's voice as they walked outside, before their words disappeared and they were darting off into the woods for their hunt. I slumped against the pillows that were piled at the headboard of my bed, picking up my book and returning to the page I'd left off on, unfolding the corner, my eyes scanning the page to find where I'd been reading before getting interrupted by Alice.

As I was reading in the silence that floated through the house, I felt a tug at my heart. It was a pang of loneliness, and it plummeted straight to my stomach, knotting and twisting the same way it had the night Damon and I ended. It always returned in the most absent of moments, where I found myself missing him more than usual. I was always alone whenever I had my moment with Damon, and it struck me hard, like a harsh slap to the face or getting hit by a school bus. I always tried to push it away by sighing, by pretending that none of it mattered to me anymore, but even my mind was aware, it was almost as alert as my heart. I swallowed a breath, continuing my reading as another way of trying to push those dreaded absent feelings away, but it stuck: it clung to my insides, wrapping around the vinyl organs, seething through my tissues, coursing through my veins, as if trying to _push _me to calling _Damon _and _apologizing_, to make things right, to let him know that what I'd done was immature, wrong: I hadn't let him explain anything. I was so set, so hurt, that things were done irrationally, and I knew that perfectly well — I was thankful for the frenzied vibration of my phone on the bed next to me, I dog-ear the page again, snatching my phone up from the mattress to see the Caller ID:Charlie. I smile a little, pressing **TALK **and bringing the phone to my ear.

"Hi Dad." I say softly into the receiver.

"Hey Bells," Charlie sounded almost relieved to hear my voice, even though I'd talked to him the night before. "How're things?"

"Things are. . . things are great, Dad." I swallow hard, hoping my voice was as convincing as I thought. One word that I was slowly becoming miserable and depressed, he'd be on the next flight to Virginia to see what he could do to help, as he'd try to do when I slipped into a depression after Edward left me. I admired Charlie's fatherly love, but he wouldn't be able to do anything, as I brought this all upon myself, he wouldn't be able to understand. . . or maybe he would, as I recall him telling me that he'd felt similar after Renee and him had gotten a divorce.

"That's great to hear, Bells." He said, and then continued with, "I miss you."

"I miss you too." I said earnestly. "Hey, what do you think of me taking a trip to Washington in a couple of weeks. . .?"

"Wha — that'd be great, Bella!" Charlie exclaimed; which is exactly the reaction I was hoping for. My smile became more genuine, more brighter, as I thought of visiting my father after such a long time apart. I loved Jenna, and maybe even Alaric, but I missed Charlie almost as much as I missed seeing Jacob, which reminded me that I should probably give him a call after hanging up with Charlie. It'd be nice to hear his voice, and it'd be nice to be brought out of this mood for the length of a phone call. If anyone could pull this absence, it would be Jacob, just as he'd done when Edward was gone.

"Great." I bit my lip. "Hey, Dad, can I call you later? I wanna phone Jacob and talk for a bit if he isn't busy."

"Well, er. . . Jake, um, Jacob's here. With Billy. They stopped by for a while; there's a game on today." Charlie sounded like he detested me getting off the phone with him and I knew that it was because he missed me. I let my thoughts flicker as to why Jacob wasn't patrolling La Push for Sam, but I figured it was because that Jake wasn't the only wolf in Sam's pack; he probably got Embry or Paul to go around, make sure everything was safe, probably looking around for Victoria while they were at it, as I recalled Alice telling met that she was still running a muck, searching for me. As expected.

"Could you put him on, Dad?" I request softly. Charlie didn't respond, but I could hear the voices in the background, and the sound of the phone being passed. Moments later, a new sound voiced through the receiver on the other line. Someone's rough breathing, to be exact, which I recognized immediately that belongs to Jacob.

"Bella?" The sound of his deep, throaty voice warmed my heart. Just like I predicted, the longing for Damon, the feeling of absence and pain, had evaporated.

"Hey." I hated how hoarse my voice sounded when I spoke; I cleared my throat. "Hey Jake."

"God, it's so awesome to hear your voice!" He exclaimed.

I chuckled to myself. "I know, right?"

It was silent between me and Jacob for a moment, before he started speaking again. "How are you doing? I noticed that the Cullen's are short another member. The blonde haired male? What happened?"

"Jasper." I confirmed. "And he came to live here with me and Alice."

"The psychic's there too? Wow, I missed a lot." Jacob laughed, and I felt a tingly feeling course through my veins at the sound of his laugh. I missed hearing it. "So, I did some eavesdropping, which you'd expect from me, and I heard you telling Charlie that you're gonna be coming up here in a few weeks. That's amazing, Bella. Finally getting tired of the constant sunshine, finally missing the pouring rain?"

"No, I just wanna see you and my Dad." I smiled. "I miss you guys, a lot."

"We miss you too, Bells." Jacob responded, I could practically_ hear_ him smiling.

The sound of something beeping caught my attention before I could answer Jacob, I pulled my phone away from my ear to see that Elena was calling me, I returned the phone to pressed against my ear. "Elena's calling. I'll talk to you later. Love you, Jake. Say goodbye to my Dad for me?"

"Love you too, Bells. And will do." Jacob hung up the same time I did, and I switched to answering Elena's phone call.

"Bella? Are you able to talk. . . ?" Elena's voice sounded worried, and this immediately worried me, as I felt the unwanted twinge of pain and loneliness fluttering around in the space behind my belly button. I nodded, but then remembered that she couldn't see me, so I coughed a small, "yeah." Elena was silent for a moment, thinking about what she wanted to say, or how to word it properly. Could this have something to do with Damon? "I. . . I need your help, with something."

"What's wrong?" I reply.

"It's. . . Bella, it's Damon." She said in a breath-like whisper. My heart skidded at the sound of his name.

"Wh —What's wrong with. . . What's wrong with Damon?" I struggled to keep my voice steady; my voice broke as '_Damon_' slipped through my teeth.

"I need you to come with me to the Boarding House. Something happened with his friend Rose, and I'm not sure how he's holding up. Please come with me? I want to make sure that he's okay. . ." her voice trailed off. I could tell that she was testing my reaction, she knew how I felt about being near Damon, or even the Boarding House. Ever since I opened up to her about having sex with him, and telling her everything that _I_ knew, we'd gotten closer. I could tell her anything, and I could come to her about or for anything, and vice versa. But this was not something I was expecting.

"What happened to. . .to Rose?" I bit my lip when I said her name, remembering the only visual aid I had of her in my memory.

"I'll let Damon tell you, if you go with me. I just need moral support, for this, and I don't think I can get that from Stefan." Elena said gently, tentatively. "Please, Bella?"

"I — I don't know." I breathed.

Elena and I were silent again, both of us trying to figure out what to say next. And in this silence, I tried to think of how to get myself out of this, but then my thoughts mixed, and I found myself figuring out what I could say to Damon if I did decide to go with Elena to the Boarding House. I wanted to comfort him, the way he'd comforted me once before, if ever, I couldn't recall. But I know that he would, if something had happened to Alice or Jasper, and I needed someone to be there for me. Even in this state, where I had said I never wanted to see him again: he would look passed that, just to make sure that I was okay. I needed to do the same for him, didn't I?

"Can you come pick me up?" I said shortly after our silence. Elena sounded relieved that I agreed, as she told me that she'd be over shortly, then we hung up.

Approximately a half hour later, Elena was pulling her 2008 Ford Escape through the woods and along the driveway to the Boarding House, she parked sort of, off to the side. It was silent as we got out of her car and walked to the front door; there was no sign of Damon's Camaro anywhere, same with Stefan's Porsche Karmann Coupe. We stepped inside, looking around, listening for any life in the Salvatore's home. But there wasn't any. We helped ourselves to sitting on the couch in the grand living room, or Elena did and I made a glass of scotch, knowing Damon would probably need it after the day he probably had — worse than mine, I could imagine. And here I thought, Damon's life was going great without having me as a bother. I couldn't have been more wrong, I guess. It wasn't before long that we heard the sound of the front door opening, I grabbed the glass I'd made, and moved toward the couch, Elena stood up as Damon came into view. There was no source of emotion evident on his face, there was a dead look in his dull blue eyes; he looked torn. I could see it in his eyes.

"You were supposed to leave." Damon's voice was just as dull and flat as his eyes.

"I did." Elena stood up from the couch, taking the glass from me as Damon slowly made his way toward us. "And then I came back to make sure you're okay." Her brown eyes flickered to mine, and then she looked back over at the vampire, handing him the scotch.

"I appreciate the gesture." He said gruffly. "I'm just glad it's over." He drank some of the scotch.

"You know I don't believe that." Elena's soft, sincere voice made me almost worried. What did she know? What had I missed in the absence of being in Damon's life? I started walking toward Damon, holding my hands behind my back, testing on how _he _would react to my being there. . . honestly, would this make things worse, would he lash out at me?

"Go home, Elena. Get some rest. It's a whole new day tomorrow." Damon insisted as he took another sip of his drink; he acted as if he didn't sense I was there, as if he couldn't see me standing next to her in the living room. She was silent for a moment, and I took another step toward him.

"Damon, I'm your friend." She reminded him, glancing at me again. Was she hoping that I'd step into the conversation, given the right moment?

"I'm well aware of that." Damon answered; I didn't like the tone of his voice, and I could tell that she didn't either.

"And a friend usually knows when their friend is hurting." Elena continued, putting her hands in her lap, keeping her eyes trained on him. I took in his appearance, Damon physically looked the same, absolutely perfect and strong, but on the inside, I could almost see the distraught pain that he was trying to bury in the unconscious part of him, so it would be suppressed and he didn't have to worry about it. I did that more than a normal person should.

"What do you want to hear? That I cared about Rose? That I'm upset?" Damon snapped harshly, bitterly. Painfully. "Well I didn't, and I'm not."

"There you go," she muttered in a small voice, but it could be heard as if she was talking in a normal voice. "Pretending to turn it off, pretending not to feel." Elena continued, her eyes never leaving him, as we both took him in. "Damon, you're so close, don't give up." Her voice softened, and I thought I saw Damon's suddenly hard facial expression softening.

"I feel Elena, okay? And it sucks!" Damon's voice rose, and I could hear the despair in his voice, the pain and suffering that he was feeling. His eyes were almost bulging, and his hands swung out, he kept a good grasp on his glass as he spoke. "What sucks even more is that it was supposed to be me." His voice cracked. "Jules was coming after _me_."

"You feel guilty." I was the only one to speak, as Elena stared at Damon.

But he looked at my cousin as if _she_ had been the one to talk to him. "That would be human of me, wouldn't it?" His voice was harsh, he was trying to cover up the pain, the hurt that was threatening to break through. "And I'm not human." For the first time since he arrived, his eyes settled on me, as if making it clear that he wasn't human. . . the same way Edward had told me he wasn't human, tired of pretending to be someone that he wasn't, when he left me after my birthday. Damon's eyes flickered to Elena once more. "You want to talk about giving up? That's all you've done is given up!" He exploded, but his voice was softening. "Go home. It's been enough doom, gloom and personal growth for one night." He swallowed hard.

"Okay, I will." Elena muttered softly, looking at me. I gave her a look that said, _I'll stay behind_, and she nodded slowly, before embracing Damon in a hug. He was stiff in her hold, he didn't want to be touched, but she didn't care. She pulled away and looked at him. "Goodnight, Damon." And with that, she left us. Damon swallowed the rest of his scotch, his feet shuffling toward the crackling fireplace; my thoughts temporarily flickered to seeing him and Rose together by the fire, but I quickly shook that away and followed after him.

"Damon..." I muttered softly, standing directly behind him, cautious. I took a deep breath and swallowed hard, at his silence, I continued, "Damon, what happened? What . . . why are you . . . What happened to your friend?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He said, his voice was rough and icy. "Just leave."

"But, I. . . I want to. . . we're. . . I'm your friend." I whispered meekly, my voice cracking.

Damon's entire body tensed, going rigid. Had I struck something? Abruptly, he was facing me, there was a fire burning deep in his dark blue eyes, I noted how hallow his voice sounded as he repeated, "Friend?" to me. I swallowed a breath, and nodded slowly, even though I gave him enough reason to disagree with that statement, watching as his fingers tightened around the glass in his hand. We kept our distance for two-three weeks after I hurt him — after we hurt each other, and now here we were, staring at each other in the middle of the Salvatore's living room. This was the first time we spoke, since.

"Yes." I finally said.

"Go away." He whispered through his teeth in a growl.

"No." I answered firmly. His eyes closed for a moment, his thoughts processing.

In one swift motion, his back was to me, his arm lurched back, and the sound of glass shattering was heard; I jumped when I acknowledged that Damon had thrown the empty glass at the mantle of the fireplace. The flames turned blue and green for a few seconds as the shards trickled into the fire, I could hear the crackling sounds that emitted. His torso rose and fell unevenly, his breathing was hard and shallow. I wanted him to talk to me, but on his own terms, so instead of speaking, I reached up and touched his shoulder lightly; Damon turned slowly to face me — I could see the absent look in his eyes, in his facial expression, there was almost an absent way to his slow beating heart, if it was truly there. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close, nuzzling my face against his chest as my head was tucked under his chin. It was like hugging a stone, the way he just stood there, the same way when Elena had embraced him. But I didn't care. It surprised me, when Damon actually returned my hug, but it lacked feeling, not the way we used to hug.

It was foreign to me, to him. To us.

We remained standing there for a few moments longer before he pulled away, there was no words spoken as he disappeared from my sight, and from the house, leaving me alone in his house, as he'd done a few times before everything happened. Instead of leaving right away, I just stared at the fire, unsure of what to do next. My feet weren't cooperating, neither was my mind. I couldn't register anything, other than that I wanted to help Damon feel better. I hated him for making me feel this way, I hated myself for everything that happened. . . maybe if things had been different, this would have gone _differently_. But it also made me love him more.

* * *

**AN: **Today will be the last day that I'm posting chapters, and I probably won't be able to get another one up until the 26 or 27 of April; I'm going away to Florida as a graduation present. I really hope that you liked this chapter. I want your thoughts, opinions, and what you think should happen in the next chapter. I love you all. Thank you so much for the reviews, I appreciate and cherish every one I receive.


	24. Upon This Dawning

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Four**

"Go away." He whispered through his teeth in a growl.

"No." I answered firmly. His eyes closed for a moment, his thoughts processing.

In one swift motion, his back was to me, his arm lurched back, and the sound of glass shattering was heard; I jumped when I acknowledged that Damon had thrown the empty glass at the mantle of the fireplace. The flames turned blue and green for a few seconds as the shards trickled into the fire, I could hear the crackling sounds that emitted. His torso rose and fell unevenly, his breathing was hard and shallow. I wanted him to talk to me, but on his own terms, so instead of speaking, I reached up and touched his shoulder lightly; Damon turned slowly to face me — I could see the absent look in his eyes, in his facial expression, there was almost an absent way to his slow beating heart, if it was truly there. Without thinking, I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close, nuzzling my face against his chest as my head was tucked under his chin. It was like hugging a stone, the way he just stood there, the same way when Elena had embraced him. But I didn't care. It surprised me, when Damon actually returned my hug, but it lacked feeling, not the way we used to hug.

It was foreign to me, to him. To us.

We remained standing there for a few moments longer before he pulled away, there was no words spoken as he disappeared from my sight, and from the house, leaving me alone in his house, as he'd done a few times before everything happened. Instead of leaving right away, I just stared at the fire, unsure of what to do next. My feet weren't cooperating, neither was my mind. I couldn't register anything, other than that I wanted to help Damon feel better. I hated him for making me feel this way, I hated myself for everything that happened. . . maybe if things had been different, this would have gone _differently_. But it also made me love him more.

—

I was unsure of the time, when my eyes fluttered open upon hearing the sounding of a door opening and closing. Slowly, I sat up and rubbed at my eyes childishly, craning my neck so I could look around, allow my vision to adjust to my settings — I'd fallen asleep on the couch, dim flames crackling in the stone fireplace. I positioned myself upright, listening to the sound of footsteps tapping against the polished wooden floor. I glanced around, as it was too dark to make out the figure, and there was no vocals from who showed up, picking up my phone to see that it was just a little after four o'clock. My thoughts started reeling, _did Alice really come home this late at night, with Jasper? _It was the only possibility. No one else except Elena, Jenna, Jeremy, and Alaric knew where the new house was. I got up from the couch slowly, tentatively, in case this wasn't someone that I knew, and this was someone trying to rob the house; which I wasn't going to let happen. The light from the fire was too dim for me to see anything passed the living room, but it sounded like whoever this was, was making their way to one of the bedrooms, probably to check if anyone was sleeping or even home. I tiptoed behind them, heading down the narrow hallway, my hands curled into tight, small fists at my side, ready to throw punches if that was what was necessary.

I blinked a few times, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. God, what I wouldn't _give _to be a vampire at this moment, so I could _see _through the darkness and defend myself against the intruder, and possible attacker if they took action. What if this was a vampire? Then I would be screwed, because it sounded as if this was Alice, or Alice wasn't home. I could be dead. Or turned into a vampire. From what Damon told me, the vampires here, were a different breed than the Cullen's and all it took, was their blood and death, then I'd be in transition. The footsteps came to a halt and there was no sudden movement, the house felt eerie, as if I was alone, abruptly.

"Hello?" I murmured, barely a whisper. But there was no response. "Is anyone here. . ." I took smaller steps, "Alice?"

I waited, but I only received silence, as I walked down the hall, not bothering to check in any rooms because the doors were sealed shut and looked as if they hadn't been opened. That, and I didn't hear any doors open when I'd been following the intruder. Sighing softly, I turned on my heel and made my way back to the living room where I'd fallen asleep, using the wall as my guide, my steps were small and tentative, I didn't want to knock anything down or walk into something.

"Bella?" A confused male's voice sounded. I mouthed my name, my eyebrows instantly knitting together. I recognized the voice.

"Damon?" I gasped.

"Bella, what the _hell _are you doing here?" Damon Salvatore inquired, his voice hoarse, vociferous. I stumbled back, bewildered, as he switched on a light, and he came into clear view of my perplexed, slightly blurry vision. I couldn't figure this out, I couldn't remember much before I'd fallen asleep on the couch — had I actually fallen asleep at the_ Salvatore's_, instead of going home to Alice and Jasper? "Well, are you going to answer me?" He said, impatient. I stared at him, blinking rapidly, my heart fluttering inside of my chest as I took him in, but I swallowed hard, afraid to meet his gaze; I didn't know how to respond, I didn't know if I_ could_ respond. The light shone down on him like a spotlight, and that's when I really got a good look at him. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, he looked hotter than ever, his clothes tight but somehow loose fitting, and his hair was disheveled. . . but what sent a punch to my heart, was the thick red ooze that was smeared around his mouth, tainting his lips. There was a slight darkness to his eyes, but there were no pulsating veins.

_"Damon,_ what happened to you?" I asked, ignoring his question, finding my voice. I had never seen him attack someone, even an animal, I'd never seen him _bite _anyone but myself. Or rather, I'd felt that, not necessarily see. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes pinned mine, neither of us said anything — but despite the blood that smothered along his jaw, Damon looked so _vulnerable_.

"I thought I told you to leave." He growled, losing the vulnerability so quickly.

"I. . . I thought I did." I said truthfully. "But I guess, I ended up falling asleep here." I could only imagine how worried Alice and Jasper might be, but I didn't want to _think_ of those possibilities, given how she reacted whenever I went to visit Jacob, because I was lost in her sight of visions because she wasn't capable of seeing passed them, for some strange reason.

Silence.

I reached up and brushed my finger against the crease of his lip, a little blood smearing onto the tip. His eyes trained on me, studying me, waiting to see what I'd do. Due to my experience with vampires, and him, I wasn't afraid of what he'd done. Instead, I felt bold, ballsy even, as I stepped closer to him, closer until our bodies pressed together. I swallowed hard, leaning in before I lost my nerve, and crushing my lips against his bloody ones, my eyes fluttering closed. This was my way, of letting him know that he could open up to me, that it was okay to let it all out, I wasn't going to judge him; he could trust me. And, I was sorry. As I prepped myself for pulling away, I felt one of Damon's arms snaking around my waist tight, pulling my body hard against his, so that our hips were touching. His lips were fierce on me, and my bottom lip was taken between his teeth, he tugged gingerly, while his free hand ran tangled through my curled hair, tipping my head back slightly; his lips left mine and peppered down my neck, he nibbled on my collar bone, and a soft moan surpassed my lips. His lips vibrated as he growled, and it sent a tingling shiver throughout my body, from my head straight down to my toes. The hand that was resting on my back, slid up my shirt, and my back curved slightly as his bare skin brushed against mine. I locked my leg around his, sliding us closer, and in one swift motion, I was roughly pushed up against the wall, my body lifted from the ground, his hand placed underneath my denim-clad ass. I felt his hips grinding against mine, and his belt dug against my core, I couldn't help but moan again.

His lips brushed up to my neck, expanding slightly, and I whispered ever-so-softly that it was alright. Not only did I want to feel him all over me, but I felt myself _craving _the rush that followed after being bitten, I craved every inch of _him _fulfill my lusting, sexual, adrenaline-like desire. As the first time, Damon did not hesitate in slowly, sensually piercing his fangs through my soft flesh, digging, inching carefully, like he was testing me. My eyes fluttered and my heart staggered, I tunneled my fingers through his hair, pushing his head closer against me, feeling his teeth sinking into the skin of my neck; I moaned voluntarily; his other hand that was in my hair, tugged harshly, and my head jolted back, I moaned again, finding that gesture kind of hot. His hips pressed harder against mine, and I wanted nothing more than him to be inside of me, to push that belt out of the way, our pants down, so I could be writhing in pleasure, I wanted the feel of ecstasy coursing through my veins. Damon slowly slid his fangs from my neck, giving me a hard, passionately bloody kiss that was sure to cause my lips to become swollen by the end of the night, which I returned hungrily, one hand cupping his cheek, my legs instinctively wrapping around him, my hips gyrating slowly and sexually against his.

"Bella." Damon moaned; his breath was hot on my skin, and it reeked of some kind of strong alcohol, that caused my nose to wrinkle.

"I — I'm sorry." I breathed, even though I didn't necessarily mean it, this time.

"Bedroom." Slipped passed his lips, almost breathlessly.

And then, my body was removed from the wall, he clutched me tight as he fled upstairs, weaving through the darkness to one of the rooms and kicking the door closed behind him with his foot, throwing me onto the bed and climbing on top of me.

My legs wound his waist as soon as our bodies collided, and my fingers tangled in his hair, guiding his head toward mine so I was able to kiss him: ferociously. He kissed me with the same intensity, his hands grasping my hips firmly, as he started grinding against me, his belt pushing into my core once more; I moaned louder than before. The tearing of fabric sounded through his room, as we stripped each other carelessly until it was down to our underwear. His thumb rubbed at my clit through the black silky laced fabric, and I bit down on his bottom lip harder than I anticipated, pushing my hips up, wanting to feel more; he smirked and tore my underwear straight from my thighs, slipping two fingers inside of me without hesitation, pumping slowly and tantalizingly. I stuttered out a moan in the form of his name, nibbling on his lip; he took one of my hands and ducked it into his boxers, I wrapped my fingers around him, slowly working my hand up and down, a smirk of my own flickered as he moaned softly against my lips. His hand was removed, and instantly, his throbbing cock slipped deep inside of me, I gasped aloud, thrusting my hips up, tightening my legs around him.

"Wait." He breathed, his thrusting was slow, and I groaned. That wasn't a good sign.

"What?" I murmured.

"Isabella Swan, I love you." He stared into my eyes as he spoke, and I couldn't help but gasp.

His eyes glimmered, as he waited for a reply, as unexpected as that was, I found myself completely, and utterly, speechless.


	25. Never Too Late

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Five**

"Bella." Damon moaned; his breath was hot on my skin, and it reeked of some kind of strong alcohol, that caused my nose to wrinkle.

"I — I'm sorry." I breathed, even though I didn't necessarily mean it, this time.

"Bedroom." Slipped passed his lips, almost breathlessly.

And then, my body was removed from the wall, he clutched me tight as he fled upstairs, weaving through the darkness to one of the rooms and kicking the door closed behind him with his foot, throwing me onto the bed and climbing on top of me.

My legs wound his waist as soon as our bodies collided, and my fingers tangled in his hair, guiding his head toward mine so I was able to kiss him: ferociously. He kissed me with the same intensity, his hands grasping my hips firmly, as he started grinding against me, his belt pushing into my core once more; I moaned louder than before. The tearing of fabric sounded through his room, as we stripped each other carelessly until it was down to our underwear. His thumb rubbed at my clit through the black silky laced fabric, and I bit down on his bottom lip harder than I anticipated, pushing my hips up, wanting to feel more; he smirked and tore my underwear straight from my thighs, slipping two fingers inside of me without hesitation, pumping slowly and tantalizingly. I stuttered out a moan in the form of his name, nibbling on his lip; he took one of my hands and ducked it into his boxers, I wrapped my fingers around him, slowly working my hand up and down, a smirk of my own flickered as he moaned softly against my lips. His hand was removed, and instantly, his throbbing cock slipped deep inside of me, I gasped aloud, thrusting my hips up, tightening my legs around him.

"Wait." He breathed, his thrusting was slow, and I groaned. That wasn't a good sign.

"What?" I murmured.

"Isabella Swan, I love you." He stared into my eyes as he spoke, and I couldn't help but gasp.

His eyes glimmered, as he waited for a reply, as unexpected as that was, I found myself completely, and utterly, speechless.

I wasn't sure how long had passed. Thirty seconds? A minute? Ten? But whatever it was, Damon looked incredibly patient, staring into my eyes, waiting for me to say something back to him; and this is when I felt something crash down on me. . . My thoughts flitted in all different directions, it was hard to keep up with myself, my heart was a slow stammer inside of my chest, while we made eye contact. I was sure that if he continued looking down at me, he could see down into my soul, he could see that I _wanted_ to say I loved him too, but I wasn't able to form a single thought, let alone a word. My first full thought began to process; it was a memory. Or rather, it was many memories, all including Damon. The silence between us was comfortable, as I reflected everything Damon has ever said to me, all his actions, and the hardest thing that hit me, was his compulsion, the way he lied to me about it. I couldn't trust Damon, not the way I figured that I could. Had Edward been right about Damon, all this time? He usually was right about these kind of things. . . As much as I hated to admit it. My heart picked up speed, as my mind rolled over the intimate moments between us, my pulse quick, I swallowed hard, lifting a hand slowly and pressing it to Damon's broad, bare chest, pressing my nails lightly against his smooth skin. My mouth opened slightly, I'd kept Damon waiting far too long, he must be growing to wonder what was wrong with me.

I was barely aware of my surroundings, as I concentrated on him. His thrusts were still slow as before, his body hardly moving, as I lay limp beneath him. Had I been wrong, all this time? Were my feelings not real for Damon, and I just thought that I loved him, now that I come to the realization, in the midst of having sex with him, hearing him tell me that he loved me, without making me forget? I was dumbfounded. My heart clenched inside of my chest now. That was a sign, right? That I was wrong about my feelings being fake? My thoughts took a new turn, instantly. I thought back to the times that Damon had been there for me, he was my first friend, officially, until Alice came into town; but there wasn't much to dwell upon, as much as I detested that.

"Bella." Damon finally said, and I didn't like the tone of his voice. One last thought conjured: _Rose_. He had never apologized for it, we'd never taken the time to talk about what happened; I understand that we weren't officially a couple, I wasn't sure what we were, but it would have made me feel a little better to know that he was sorry for what he'd done, for the way that he hurt me, but instead of that hurting, it ended up that me and Elena tried comforting him after whatever happened. A story, I figured, would be for another day, if things went good after what I was about to say.

"No, you don't." My voice was barely a whisper as I allowed my eyes to meet his once more.

A crease formed in Damon's forehead as his eyes narrowed, he stared down at me, just as bewildered as I felt. "What?"

"You don't. . ._ love_ me." I tested softly.

Damon pulled out with no hesitation, I sat up and pulled the sheet over my body tightly, bringing my legs close to my body. We only stared at each other, and I wondered what was running through his mind, what was he thinking? But more importantly, how was he going to react now that I told him he didn't love me? But no movements were made, no jostling uncomfortably of the mattress, he just sat there, his boxers clinging to his thighs, erection straight out, but that was it. The only time he bothered moving, being his hand, was to tuck himself back into his boxers. Had _he_ come to the realization, too? Or was I just in over my head?

"How can you say that? love" Damon's voice was low, icy.

I wanted to tell him that the last time he'd told me he loved me, he'd made me forget that happened. But what came up instead was me muttering, "Rose," under my breath without meeting his gaze. Suddenly, I wasn't too sure much of anything right now. Damon's facial expression hardened, and then softened, like he was contemplating his next choice of words — then I got a good look at him. There was a glimmer in his eyes, but not like before, they were glistening like ice . . . moistening.

"What about her?" The tone remained the same.

"I saw you and her together. Before she, uh..."

"Died." He grit through his teeth, I gasped softly. I had no idea that she'd become deceased, part of me felt bad, but then again, I didn't really know her, or at all. Another silence filled the room as I gathered my thoughts again. Her death wasn't excuse for what happened now, I'd still seen them together _before _she died, not too long after he'd told me that he loved me. We'd had this conversation before, it was caused us to not talk for such a long time. Did he not remember?

I took a deep breath. "Damon, you don't _love_ me. You _think_ that you do. For what_ reason_, I don't know. You just enjoy my _company_."

"But you love me." He said confidently.

At this point, I wasn't sure how I felt about Damon — but deep down, I knew that he was right, I did love Damon. My insides quivered at the memory of how I felt while Damon and I were taking our time apart because of Rose. I felt so lonely, so empty, so lost without him. It was almost equivalent to the way I'd been while Edward was gone, that long time ago, I reminded myself. I didn't want that to happen again. I couldn't lose him, no matter how much I was hurt by him, I knew I needed him around, he was my moral support for just about everything. But it unsettled me, knowing that he didn't love me too. But then it occurred to me: had he "taken" away my memory of him loving me, to protect himself? To protect me? It made a little sense, as I started dwelling upon_ that_.

"Bella." His voice lightened. I was silent.

"What happened to Rose?" I asked, having the sudden urge to change the direction of the conversation.

He was hesitant in responding at first, but I gave him a look that allowed him to know that by him telling me something that seemed so strongly personal to him, it would partially prove to me that he loved me. A sigh surpassed his lips, and he ran a hand through his hair, tensing and flexing his muscles. His eyes circled around the room before settling on me. "She got bit by a werewolf."

My eyes widened, remembering what Jacob had told me. A vampire bite was poisonous to werewolves, there had been no mention of it being the other way around. As far as I knew, the wolves didn't produce any kind of venom, and that a bite to a vampire was completely harmless. And then my thoughts snapped back to Damon's vampirism ways: they were not the same kind of vampire as the Cullen's, did that mean Jacob was not the same as another werewolf? Was there other species of werewolves out there?

"What?" Damon's eyebrows furrowed. I repeated just as what I'd thought, causing Damon to laugh softly to himself. "I guess that's a possibility."

I made a mental reminder to ask Jacob about it when I went back to Forks in a few weeks. . . I wonder how Damon would react when I finally told him. Would he want to come with me? Let me go? Send someone to make sure I was safe? Okay, that was a little irrational. This isn't Edward I'm talking about. From what I remember, as far as Damon knew, I was in no kind of danger, he wouldn't know that unless he'd spoken with Alice or Jasper, or he was a mind reader.

"Bella?" His voice took me out of my thoughts, I looked at him, he appeared as if he were bracing himself for something. I brace myself, as well. "I'm sorry."

My jaw nearly dropped, but I tightened the muscles in my jaw to prevent. "For what?"

"Everything. For . . . For all the times I got angry with you. For feeding on you, even though I had your permission. For Rose." He whispered her name, and his shoulders slumped, he leaned carefully back against the end post of his bed, but his eyes never left mine. My heart swelled inside of my chest, and I waited for the burst, waiting for it to pop like an overblown balloon, but it only shrunk down to its normal size. . . I didn't believe him. I swallowed hard, my insides shook, and I was sure that it was visible because of the look that crossed Damon's face. "You okay?" he muttered.

"Yeah, j—just cold." I said meekly, lying to him. I found that it was most likely better to make him believe that everything was okay. If he could play these games with me, then I see that it's only fair for me to do the same to him. And if I turn out wrong in the end, I'll take whatever consequence is thrown at me.

"You should, probably get home. Alice could be worried about you." Damon said.

In all honesty, I'd forgotten about Alice and Jasper. They were the least of my worries. But I didn't want to be in the presence of Damon, not right now, I wanted to get myself together, sort everything out, and that was hard to do with him sitting only inches away from me. Except I didn't move. My body was betraying me. I felt numb, rigid, frozen. Like ice had been injected into my veins. Damon noticed my hesitation almost immediately, but he didn't move either, he didn't plunge, no effort to strike a kiss and resume our intimacy. Instead, he got out of bed, and began sifting through his drawers, I watched as he pulled out a plain black t-shirt and another pair of boxers. I tried not to stare at the smooth plains and contours of the muscles on his back, averting my attention to roaming around the room.

"Here." He turned to face me, holding out the articles of clothing. "Your clothes are.. er, destroyed, so.." _Right_.

Our clothes didn't really come off the orderly, traditional way, instead they'd been ripped from our bodies in such a hasty, desired want. I leaned, gingerly taking the shirt and boxers from him, sliding the black shirt over my head and poking my arms through the arm holes, and pulling on his boxers. They were baggy on me, not that it really mattered, or wasn't to be expected, he was much larger than me, in a good sense. I got up from the bed, my legs nearly buckling underneath me, as if I'd been resorted to the consistency of jelly. Damon was swift to have his arm around me, making sure that I didn't topple over and collapse to the ground.

"Did you drive here?" He asked, glancing down at me. I shoved him away when I was sure that I could stand on my own, straightening up, starting to walk toward the door.

"I came here with Elena." I recalled.

"Alright, I'll drive you." Damon insisted, grabbing his keys from the drawer in the bedside table, accidentally knocking over the small tower of books that were piled on the floor right in front of the nightstand.

"I'm fine with walking." I blurted, even though that was the last thing that I wanted to do.

"It's late, and it's cold. No." Damon's voice hardened, I could hear the almost protectiveness in his voice. Was he worried that something would happen to me?

"Fine." I sighed softly, "I don't remember where I put my shoes."

"Downstairs." He mumbled, walking beside me as we walked down to the first floor of the house.

It wasn't before long that we got into the car, I told him the address of my new house, and off we were to the little farm house/cottage that I now called home. There was an comfortable silence between us, a silence that most people enjoyed, I slumped back against the seat in the Camaro, closing my eyes. It was a fairly long drive, and this allowed me to have some kind of sleep, due to how late it was at this time of night. I slipped in and out, the rocking of the car usually took me back and caused my eyes to open, but then I'd quickly fall back under, barely acknowledging that Damon was right beside me. He didn't bother making conversation. He was letting me try and sleep, which I very much appreciated.

What felt like hours later, the car jerked to a stop, lunging my body forward so fast that if I hadn't been wearing my seat belt, I might have gone flying through the window. I unbuckled and stretched my legs forward, rubbing my shoulder, biting softly down on my lower lip. Damon was frozen in his seat, both hands firmly gripping the wheel, I could see his knuckles turning whiter than bone, with a faint redness blossoming around the edges. I slowly turned to look at him, tucking my hair behind my ear, letting my eyes sweep over Damon's tense posture.

"Are you . . . okay?" I muttered. But Damon didn't respond, there was a tensing of muscle in his suddenly taut jaw. "Damon?"

"You _live_ here?" Damon grit.

"Uh, yeah." I nodded, my eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Why?"

"A band of vampires tortured my brother here." His words were slow, but razor sharp.

"When?" I almost gasped, Alice had neglected to mention that when she'd first taken me to the house.

"Maybe a month or so before you arrived in Mystic Falls." Damon guesstimated. I nodded slowly, my muscles tightening, I wasn't sure what to say, or how to react. "The place was cleaned up, I'm not sure by who. There was staked vampires everywhere. Wasn't a pretty sight. But I was determined to save my brother, before they killed him."

"Why were they—"

"It was a group of vampires that had been let out of the tomb under the remains of Fell's Church. They were pissed at my brother and I, for our infatuation with Katherine back in 1864. It was because of us, that the vampires had been rounded up and supposedly killed when the church was set ablaze." I didn't like the tone in his voice as he recalled the memory, there was a twinge in his voice that made it sound like it had happened only yesterday. "They wanted revenge, and targeted my brother because he feeds on animal blood. They most likely didn't know that I would be coming after him, with Alaric."

"What?" My eyes narrowed.

"Alaric is bad ass, trust me." He grinned a little, crackling his hardened persona.

"I should get inside." I said, opening the door and climbing out of the car.

"Hey Bella. Is the house under your name?" He said softly, I turned to look at him, biting my lip as I peered down at Damon.

"I think me and Alice are both the owners of the house, if not, should we?" I asked.

"As long as your name is under there, you're okay." He replied, I nodded, and back away slightly from the car. "And Bella?"

"What?" I swallowed, a soft, gentle breeze brushed against my exposed skin, and I broke out into a rash of goosebumps.

"Be careful who you invite inside your house, okay? Because once a vampire has been invited inside, they can enter freely, it could be dangerous for you. Even Alice and Jasper." I heard the warning tone in his voice, as his expression told that he was one hundred percent serious.

"Thanks, Damon." I murmured earnestly.

I closed the door and wrapped my arms around myself; Damon had been right about it being cold; as I walked, I thought about what he'd said. _Dangerous_. Was there more to Mystic Falls than I already knew. Were there more vampires running among the civilians of the small Virginia town? I l let the thought slip away as I trudged closer to the front door, I glanced over my shoulder to see that the Camaro sat exactly where it was when I got out of the car, Damon tensely sitting in the front seat. As soon as I was in the safety of my house, thankfully Alice had thought to leave the front door unlocked, probably hoping that I'd decide to come home, I looked out the nearest window, seeing that the Camaro was now gone. I locked the front door and headed straight for my room, closing the door gingerly, slowly behind me, careful not to make a noise, even though Alice would have caught my scent the moment I stepped through the front door.

But I was surprised I didn't get bombarded as soon as I was inside.

* * *

**AN: **Hi everyone! I am back from Florida and survived my first week back in school, I can't predict how much I'll be able to update my story, but I know I'll get enough done as much as I possibly can. Leave me your thoughts on this chapter, please! I love you all. Oh, and if you have the time, for a change of stories, mind checking out my other ones and let me know what you think? I've been having trouble updating the ones that aren't complete, especially my Clique stories. You'd be a lot of help, if you pitched in some ideas. PM me if you want to throw around some things you'd like to see in the other stories.


	26. The Dinner Party

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Six**

I spoke to Alice the following morning about what Damon had said to me, reciting his exact words; she was on-board when I mentioned that it would be for my protection — but I didn't like the look that had crossed her face. It also got me thinking of whether or not I'd have to invite Alice inside the house, which resulted into a quick text sent to Damon, who replied that Alice would not need an invitation since her name is on the deed our home, however Jasper would need immediate invitation since he was living there as well but his name was not registered for the house, but he wasn't too sure how it could work out because he and Alice are a different breed of vampire. I shrugged that off, and gave Jasper the permission to come into the house, just to be safe, I didn't want something bad happening to my best friend's mate. Though, we didn't talk much after that, Alice claimed she needed another hunting trip. . . I felt like there was more to that, if she was bringing Jasper along again, could it be that the wolves are crossing her line of vision and she needs to try and find a place to get away from the blind spots? Or does she really want some completely-alone time with her husband? If so, all she has to say is just that and I'll go hang out with Elena, or even Caroline, seeing as we've started a camaraderie, of sorts.

Four o'clock rolled around fairly quickly, Alice and Jasper finally returning after what seemed like years rather than hours. Her ink-colored hair was smooth, framing her flawless face, and her golden eyes bright; I wondered if she would enjoy Stefan's company while hunting, given what Damon had said about his younger brother's vegetarian diet. Completely random thought. But I did notice that Jasper had not accompanied her back from their hunting trip, and when I asked, she said that he was going up to the Falls, he was curious as to what to explore throughout Mystic Falls. We spent a good half hour trying to think of what we were going to do for dinner, as Alice was more keen on public appearances once she'd arrived, and had made a friend while one of her many drawling sunny days hiding out in the mall or Mystic Grill until the sun went down or there was just enough clouds to cover the sun so she could go unseen, well, her skin could go unsparkling.

Sitting on the couch, discussing anything _but _dinner as it turned out, Alice's spine stiffened and her shoulders tensed. My eyes narrowed, studying her carefully as her eyes became blank, there was no emotion, as her pupils darted back and forth, was she searching for something in someone's future, perhaps mine? A few moments later, she blinked, returning her attention on me.

"What?" I murmured.

"Damon has something planned." She whispered, as if her words weren't safe. "It won't end well..."

"What?" I repeated, softer.

Her eyes started darting again, as the flatness returned in her eyes, I swallowed heavily. She wasn't blinking, which meant she was still searching through the future, sifting, probably watching as the course changed; the sound of someone's knuckles rapping against the front door caught my attention, but not Alice's. I gingerly got up from the couch, careful not to jostle the cushions, tucking a stand of hair behind my ear as I trudged my way towards the door, sighing to myself. I grasped the silver handle and pulled it open, lifting my eyebrows instantly. I fought the urge to look over at Alice, but I could only keep my eyes fixed on the broad vampire with the smirk on his face, leaning against the outside doorway, one hand placed in his lap while the other was latched onto his forearm.

"Bella." He said barely above a whisper. I wondered if Alice had snapped back to reality, but I doubt she was able to hear him.

"What're you — why are you here?" I stammered, my voice refusing to become more than a murmur.

"I . . . Can I come inside?" I watched as his bottom lip twitched, a smoldering look in his warm blue eyes, they seemed less icy, and more of a sapphire. Before I could respond, he swiftly, cockily added, "It would be rude if you didn't," with a wink and puckered his lips slightly. Was this way of indicating something? I mean, we came down to an understand the night before, and he told me that he loved me, but that didn't mean I would jump at the next chance to do_ anything_ with him. . . In any case, I figured that it could wait a while, until everything blew over. But . . . Alice did say he could come here.

"Yes." I replied, moving out of Damon's way. He strode inside, lean and swift, his movements effortless, his posture and muscles relaxed. He either had something diabolical planned, due to what Alice had told me minutes before Damon had shown up, or he just absolutely did not have a care in the world. Knowing Damon, it was probably both. I watched as he went toward Alice, his hands dangling, brushing against his thighs; his head turned slowly as he grinned sheepishly at me. "What?"

Alice finally returned, blinking rapidly, her eyes flickering to Damon. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here to," he paused dramatically, I watched as his eyes went from me, to Alice, and then back to me, "a dinner party."

"A dinner party?" I said, alone, as Alice had fell silent — I expected her to talk with me, but then I remembered her saying that Damon had something planned. . . could it be that there was something going to happen at his so-called dinner party?

"We're welcome the newest Mystic Falls citizen. Alaric, Jenna, Andie, and I." Damon smiled a little.

I raised an eyebrow, looking at Alice from the corner of my eye, she was scowling. He pretended not to notice. "Who's, um... Do you do it often?"

"No." His upper lip curled, "So what do you say? Do you wanna come? Please accept my personal invitation," His eyes smoldered lovingly as they bored into mine, and I knew that he was speaking directly to me, and that he'd invited Alice only to be polite. I swallowed heavily, glancing at Alice: She didn't look too pleased, not in the slightest, and I bit down softly on my bottom lip, returning my gaze fully to Damon. Would it be smart of me to go, to keep an eye on Damon, to prevent Alice's vision from happening, like it's been done so many times before?

"Well, I — yes, Damon. I'll go." I avoided Alice's menacing stare, I bit my lip to fight the shiver that struck and tingled along the contours of my spine.

The smirk was visible on both his lips and in his voice, casting a wink at me, "see you then," was uttered, then he was gone.

* * *

**Damon's Point of View**

I returned to the Boarding House after visiting Katherine at the tomb, and inviting Bella and her gold-eyed friend to the dinner party, finding that Jenna and the dearly beloved Andie Starr from the news were already preparing the table. I chuckled softly to myself at their conversation as they'd been talking about Jenna, herself, and Ric, but I snorted when Andie had mentioned that I tell her everything — somewhat. Yes, I was honest with the girl, but I haven't taken a real liking to her, not since my developed feelings for Bella; Andie was just _my_ cover story. I headed down into the library where I found Ric waiting for me, he looked pretty occupied with himself, but the moment his eyes settled on me, a grave expression surfaced, he got up from the couch. I was tempted to offer him something to drink, though that could wait until the dinner was brought out for us.

"This is a bad idea." He said.

"There's no such thing as a bad idea," I retorted with a snort. "Just poorly executed awesome ones. Here." I handed him a glass of scotch, caving, and I fought the frown as Ric refused it.

"No." Alaric mumbled gruffly. "I don't like the idea of Elijah of being in the same house with Jenna." I choked inaudibly on the way my friend had said the Original vampire's name, it was a tone I never heard before, was he jealous? Angry? Protective? Oh, to know the answers. But I wasn't going to let that spoil absolutely anything.

"Jenna's perfectly safe. Besides, it's just a fact-finding mission. It's totally harmless." I insisted.

"Just a fact-finding mission?" Alaric's eyebrows furrowed as he stared skeptically at me.

"Yeah." I gave him a small nod.

"Listen," Ric sighed. "no sneak attacks. No surprise plans. Nothing that's gonna put Jenna in harm's way. Okay?"

"Scout's honor." I put my hand on Ric's shoulder and looked at him, letting him know that I meant what I said, but Alaric didn't look entirely convinced, almost suspicious; my friend knew me all too well. I was impressed, needless to say. My ears sounded the arrival of Andie as she walked inside the library.

"Hey, Jenna needs help with the wine." Andie smiled. I looked at Alaric, smile, and pat my friend's shoulder reassuringly, I watch as Alaric rolls his eyes at me while walking up the stairs to attend Jenna. "Thanks."

"Yeah." He murmured, leaving the library and closing the door behind him. I wait until I hear Alaric's footsteps completely gone, walking over to a table on the far side of the library, opening a small trunk, my eyes locked as I pulled a silver dagger and a vial of white oak ash from the inside; I hear Andie walking down toward me.

"What's that?" she inquired.

"Dessert." I didn't bother to hide my smirk, uncapping the vial and dipping the dagger into the ash. "Elijah's stronger than me. Faster than me. It's all about the element of surprise."

"Ah, it's too bad." Andie was saying, I rolled my eyes at the sincerity in her voice. "I like him. He's very old-school. "Classy."

"Which is why you should encourage the gentleman to take their after dinner drinks in here while you do coffee in the kitchen with the girls." I placed the dagger with the glasses and scotch on a silver tray that was on another table, hiding it from view.

"Hmm. That is a little too sexist for me." Andie commented.

I turned around and looked at her, "Stop talking." I was pleased that she only smiled. I swallowed heavily at the sound of the bell ringing upstairs, and I felt my pulse quicken when I caught the scent from who was standing outside: a Gilbert. Please, don't let it be Elena or Jeremy, I let flicker through my thoughts as I walked out of the library and into the front hall, I didn't have to see Jenna's face to know she was wearing an expression of disgust.

"Who invited him?" she almost snarled.

"John." I observed with my own disgust rolling off my tongue, despite him being Elena's father. I did not favor him after he tried barbequeing me on Founder's Day. "Surprise." I said through my teeth. "Leave."

"When Jenna told me she was coming to a dinner party for Elijah, I decided I couldn't miss out on all the fun and games." John Gilbert II looked directly at me, Alaric's footsteps sound as he joins us in the front hall. Both John and I look at him.

"There are not going to be any games tonight, John. It's just a friendly dinner party." Alaric said, I was surprised by how leveled his voice was — he hated John almost as much as I did. John looked back at me, and I simply mustered in my most even voice, "What he said."

Unfortunately, John didn't leave. Which meant I was stuck with him, as was Alaric and Jenna. Andie directed everyone into the grand living room, as I heard the sound of someone's tires rolling over the gravel of the driveway. Moments later, there was a knock on the door, and a soft "I'll call you later!" thrown to whoever had driven to the boarding house. I opened the door to find Bella standing there, my eyes immediately swept over her, taking in the low cut long sleeve gray sweater that clung to her curves and fell to just below her mid-thigh, the black shimmery-ish tights, and black heeled boots. I got the impression that her little diva friend had dressed her, but I could be wrong. I swallowed, tilting my head slightly as I grinned. I was still a little sour about our interruption from the evening before, and I detested that she didn't believe me when I told her that I loved her — oh, was I going to get a foot shoved into my mouth when I tell her about Andie.

"Hi Damon." Bella muttered, I stepped aside for her.

"So, did you take my advice about the house?" I carefully raised an eyebrow, and she nodded solemnly, stepping inside; I closed the door after her. "Everyone's in the living room." Cautiously, I let my hand drop, allowing my fingers to brush against hand before slipping them between the spaces of her fingers, locking them intertwined tightly. I received a cautioned look from Bella, but I pretended not to notice, guiding her to the living room where I saw John was trying to make conversation with Andie while Jenna and Alaric talked among themselves. My hand shook from hers not too long after at the sound of the door bell ringing again, and I knew exactly whom was standing on my front porch before I even got the door open. Elijah, as I anticipated, came into view.

"Good evening." The Original said.

"Thank you for coming." I stepped aside for Elijah, keeping my voice polite. "Please, come in."

"Just one moment." There was a look of warning in Elijah's eyes. "Can I just say that if you have less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider."

I put on my best smile. "No, nothing, nothing dishonorable. Just getting to know you."

"Hmm. Well, that's good." Elijah entered the house, he turned his head to look at me. "Because, you know, although Elena and I have this deal, if you so much as make a move to cross me, I'll kill you and everyone in this house. Are we clear?"

"Crystal." I met his hard gaze.

Elijah smiled as his eyes swept to Jenna, and walked over to her. "Jenna. Wonderful to see you again. How are you?"

"Nice to see you." Jenna smiled back.

"You look incredible." The schmooze complimented.

"Thank you." I could detect the hint of a blush creeping among Jenna's cheeks, I shut the door — or slammed. Which ever. I led everyone into the dining room, Andie and Bella sat on either side of me, Alaric across next to Jenna, Elijah at the head of the table, and John on the opposite side of Alaric. Jenna poured me a glass of wine, and I softly thanked her, looking at Bella from the corner of my eye. I could tell she wanted an explanation as to why Andie was here, and who she was, but I could answer her questions later, after this was all done and over with. "I hate to break it to you, Damon, but according to Elijah, your family is so not a founder of this town."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued, flickering my gaze to Elijah. "Hmm, do tell."

"Well," Elijah sipped his own wine. "As I mentioned to Jenna earlier, a faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690's. Over the next hundred years, they developed this community where they could feel safe from persecution."

"Hmm. Because they were witches." Jenna input softly.

"Yeah, but there's no tangible proof there were witches in Salem." Andie quipped.

"Andie's a journalist. Big on facts." I gloated, smiling at Elijah.

"Well, the lore says that there was this wave of anti-witch hysteria. It broke out in the neighboring settlement, so these witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field together and, uh, burned. Some say you could hear the screams from miles around us. They were consumed by the fire. Could you pass the —"

"I wouldn't repeat this to the Historical Society." Jenna interrupted, as kind as her voice would make it seem.

"It's starting to sound a little like a ghost story to me." John said.

"So, why do you want to know the location of these alleged massacres?" I kept my gaze on Elijah, intrigued, noting that the topic hadn't been brought up tonight at my dinner party.

"You know..." Elijah started, I tried to make out a look of discomfort on his face but found none. "A healthy historian's curiosity, of course."

"Of course." I reply, watching as Elijah glanced at me, meeting my gaze, and smiled nervously. "Where are my manners?" I said a few short seconds later, draping my arm around Bella's shoulders lightly. "Elijah, you're probably wondering who this delectable young girl is." I forced a smile, I hated acknowledging Bella to the only other vampire in the room, but it was a way to stall a bit while everyone finished eating.

I watched as Elijah leaned forward, "Why, yes. I'm actually quite curious." Alaric suddenly appeared nervous, again, I pretended not to notice.

"This is Bella." I kept my voice low and even, "_Elena_'s cousin. She came to live in Mystic Falls right before Christmas." I made sure to put enough emphasis on my brother's girlfriend's name, hardening my gaze, waiting for him to crumble. There was no direct point, but I was also making it clear that if he dared to go near or try to hurt Elena, I would do everything in my power to destroy him — but I didn't need _that _provoking_ tonight_. "Bella," I didn't take my eyes off the vampire, "This is Elijah. He's new in town. This dinner party, is for him."

"It — It's nice to meet you, Elijah." Bella stammered nervously. Could she tell that he was one of the most feared vampires in existence?

"As you, Isabella." Elijah quirked a smile.

"Now that you're acquainted..." I started softly, and then it fell completely silent throughout the dining room, and I slapped my hands against the table, making a loud thwack noise against the hard polished wood. "Would anyone care for some cognac? I have a bottle that I've been saving for ages."

I got up from the table, sneaking a glance at Alaric, who held up his glass and shook his head. I tried not to grin at my friend as he replied, "None for me, thanks. Nine bottles of wine is my limit." Everyone started getting up, and I appointed my next look at Andie, grinding my teeth together slowly, watching as she insisted that the gentleman should take their drinks in the study.

"I have to say the food was almost as wonderful as the company." Elijah commented thoughtfully.

"I like you." Andie smiled; I thought I was a charmer, but Elijah completely blew me away in that, he was older than I was, way more experienced, and he was without a doubt the nobleman. I chuckled to myself as Jenna handed some plates to John, remarking a snide comment of calling him a gentleman, and making himself useful, as John took the plats from her, walking off. Alaric came up behind Jenna.

"Here, here. Put me to work." Alaric tried.

"Um, I got it." Jenna insisted, picking up the rest of the plates and starting to walk out of the room, but Alaric immediately stopped her.

I sighed to myself, walking out of the dining room and to the study, I could hear Alaric growling a _you son of a bitch _to someone, most likely John since he would never speak that way to Jenna. I go straight to the table where I left the silver tray, where Elijah is patiently waiting, I start pouring drinks for us men, listening to Bella talking with Jenna, trying to be caught up to speed on what's going on, but Andie insisted that now wasn't the time. Good for her, since both Elijah and I could hear every word they were saying. "So, let me guess. In addition to the moonstone, the doppelgänger, the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, you need to find this witch burial ground."

"Because I feel as though we've grown so close, Damon, I'll tell you yes. Do you know where it is?" He inquired.

"Maybe. Tell me why it's so important." I handed Elijah a glass of scotch, and I watched as he took it.

"We're not that close." Elijah confirmed, turning around and looking around at the books that lined the many shelves on the walls of the study. "it's quite a collection you have here." I muttered a _hmm _to myself as Elijah has his back to me, Slowly and carefully grabbing the silver dagger from the tray of glasses. "It's a funny thing about books. Before they existed, people actually had memories." I grit my teeth as Alaric and Andie burst through the study doors; I quickly put the dagger back down, out of sight.

"Gentleman, we forgot about dessert." Alaric said, I looked over at him, concern layering in my eyes.

"Elijah." Andie held her hand out toward the Original.

"Miss Starr.." Elijah handed his glass to me, I gulped it back, watching as Elijah took Andie's hand. He twirled her around, and they walked out of the room together. As soon as they left, I couldn't resist angrily smacking Alaric, who just pointed down at the dagger on the tray, I narrow my eyes, not comprehending what Alaric was trying to tell me. Ric moved away from me, walking to the desk by the window, grabbing a pen and writing something down on what I presume to be a piece of paper; he handed it to me a few moments later, I glance down, my eyes sweeping over the page. Scrawled in Alaric's slanted penmanship, **the dagger will kill you if you use it**. Just as angry as before, I throw the paper at Alaric before storming out of the room, my friend hot on my heels. I look to see that Bella was no longer here, this upset me, but I had to focus on getting rid of Elijah. I didn't blame Bella for leaving, and I was ashamed to have thought of inviting her, then again, I thought Alice might've actually come tonight, but that was even a long shot. **  
**

"Ric, would you do me a favor and grab the notebook out of my bag?" Andie asked, Ric walked to where she'd placed her bag; I sat down on the couch, glaring across the table at John.

"Elijah, did John tell you he's Elena's uncle/father?" I inquired as I stepped toward them.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that." He remarked.

"Of course, she hates him, so there's absolutely no need to keep him on the endangered species list." I looked back at him.

"No Ric, it's in the front pocket. On the ... you know what? Excuse me, guys. Sorry." Andie got up from the couch and walked over to the bag, where Alaric was, helping him find the notebook in her bag. I chuckled inaudibly to myself.

"What I'd like to know, Elijah ,is how do you intend on killing Klaus?" John asked, I was surprised that I didn't roll my eyes. Way to just bluntly put that out there, Gilbert.

"Gentlemen, there's a few things we should probably get clear right now." Elijah looked at the both of us. "I allow you to live solely to keep an eye on Elena. I allow Elena to remain in her house living her life with her friends as she does as a courtesy." His eyes flashed with warning. "If you become a liability, I'll take her away from you and you'll never see her again."

Andie comes back with the notebook and sits down. "Okay, my first question is, when you got here to Mystic—"

I smirked as Alaric came up behind Elijah, stabbing the dagger through his heart. A scream comes deep within Elijah, his skin turning ashen gray and his veins becoming pronounced; his body drops to the floor as everyone at the table gets up in shock and Alaric slowly pulls the dagger out, placing it on the table, he looked at me.

"Now, get rid of me before Jenna comes back with dessert." Alaric demanded.

"All right." I was quick to get on my feet, grabbing Elijah and throwing him over my shoulder, hurrying out the room as I heard Jenna's footsteps, carrying him down to the cellar in the basement where both me and my brother had been kept at one point because of our craze for blood. It didn't take very long for Alaric to dismiss himself from Jenna, coming down to me, I could tell there was disappointment already.

"You said there wasn't going to be any violence." He sounded more pissed than disappointed.

"Says the guy that did all the killing." I remarked, starting to walk out but Alaric quickly grabbed my arm.

"Hey, I took the shot because I saw an opening." Alaric explained to me, his glare menacing. "not because I planned to do this with Jenna in the house. Now, you can't lie to me like that." I shake it off, trying to leave once more but Alaric took hold of me again. "Hey, I am your friend, damn it. And, you don't have any friends. So, no more lying." I nod and leave to upstairs, it doesn't take Ric very long to close the cell door and walk out after me.

* * *

**Bella's Point of View**

I slowly made my way upstairs after dinner had been over and I had a small talk with the woman named Andie, fidgeting with the hem of my sweater dress, trying to even out my breathing. I found no place being among them, they were all natives of Mystic Falls welcoming that man named Elijah, who looked strangely familiar but I couldn't pin-point how I exactly knew him. My feet were soundless against the carpeted floor of the upstairs hallway, making my way toward the only room I knew I'd feel most comfortable in: Damon's. I wasn't sure what was going on down there, and I had the strongest feeling that I didn't want to. I unlaced my boots, leaving them by the pile of books that Damon had knocked over and still didn't fix, climbing up onto his bed, grabbing the one book that had been left on the nightstand. It was _The Great Gatsby _by F. Scott Fitzgerald; one of my own favorite books even though it wasn't as old as the ones I usually occupied myself with. I flipped to the page he'd left off, it was close to the very middle of the novel, dog-earring the page so I could start from the beginning, resting my back against the mountain of pillows piled near the headboard, flipping to the first page, my eyes scanning the small print, sliding my legs under the comforter, getting myself comfortable.

Somewhere along the time, taking my time reading the book in hand, I wasn't sure how long had passed, but there was a male's scream from downstairs. I jumped, nearly tossing the book to the floor, my heart pounding harshly inside of my chest. I prayed that it wasn't Damon, swallowing hard I swung my legs over the edge, getting to my feet and darting out to the hallway, almost stumbling and tripping over my feet, but quickly stopping myself when I saw Damon casually walking passed, someone's body thrown over his shoulder. My breath caught in my throat, my eyes wide. Had Damon killed someone? I tried to steady my breathing, but it was highly impossible, my pulse quick, I felt frozen. What was I supposed to do? Was anyone a witness to someone being killed by Damon? I turned slowly, making my way back up to Damon's room, unsure of what to do, my hand pressed to my chest, hovering over my heart, feeling how heavy it was beating, trying to wipe that image from my memory, throwing myself back onto the bed and just curling up under the blankets, pulling them over my head, closing my eyes, trying to take deep breaths. Despite how much I was involved with the supernatural, I would never be _good _when it comes to someone dying.

My eyes fluttered open when I heard someone in the shower, which was most likely Damon. I sat up slowly, suddenly nervous. Would he mind if I joined him? Or would that make things complicated, due to last night, if he still wanted to be with me in that sense some time in the near future? I stretched my legs out under the blankets, groaning softly under my breath, bringing my arms above my head as far as they could reach. Next, I heard someone just down the hallway, was it Stefan coming to ask Damon something? I carefully got out of bed, grabbing onto the nightstand so I didn't topple to the ground, pushing my matted hair away from my face and smoothing it down, blinking a few times. But what surprised me was that _Damon_ was the one to enter his bedroom, and not Stefan. His eyes settled on me momentarily, until they flickered toward the bathroom.

"Andie? I thought you left." His voice was hollow, like he really didn't want her to be there. I opened my mouth to speak, but Damon was already walking toward the open doorway, entering the connecting bathroom. Slowly, I tiptoe after him, curious as to why that Andie woman would be taking a shower in Damon's bathroom. Was this _something else_ that he was keeping from me? I grit my teeth. Damon stood there, and I peered through the narrow space, seeing that the entire bathroom was filled with steam, the water turned off, and emerging from the shower was Elena. My eyes widened, she showed no shame that she was completely naked, standing in front of her boyfriend's older brother, and myself. But Elena didn't seem to notice me. I glance up at Damon, who is completely shocked, and surprised.

"Hello, Damon." she smiled slyly. "Hey, do you have a robe?"

"How did you get out?" He almost growled, but that didn't mask his shock and surprise. Something flickered in my brain, a bright light went off, and then the alarm that soon followed as I pieced it quickly together, but I pursed my lips together, wanting to hear what this woman had to say to Damon. The smile blew up into a sheepish grin, she pulled her dark wet tresses to one side and tilted her head.

"I knew that if I begged you not to kill Elijah, that's exactly what you'd do. Little known fact..." Her voice trailed knowingly. "Originals can compel vampires. But as soon as they die, the compulsion wears off."

His voice hardened, and his posture tensed. "And you knew."

"And I'm still here." she replied matter-of-factly to Damon, an eyebrow casually raised, her eyes flickered to me, resting on me for a moment, before returning to Damon. "I didn't run. I meant what I said, Damon. I'm going to help you." I grabbed lightly at Damon's arm, and he didn't jerk away, I applied pressure, squeezing him gently as she looked down at her stark naked body; her gaze casually lifted up again. "So... how about that robe?" I felt the muscles in Damon's arm tense and flex beneath my hand; it was strange that I could actually feel the rushing pulse against my fingertips. I continued staring at her, envious and annoyed.

I didn't know much about her, but from the knowledge I had thanks to the in-shock vampire next to me, I automatically did not trust Katherine Pierce, no matter how much she resembled Elena.

* * *

**AN: **Because I took a section from the actual show, I shall put in a disclaimer: I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries. It belongs to The CW, Julie Plec, Warner Brothers, and L.J. Smith. As for Twilight, the disclaimer is the same, and all rights go to Stephenie Meyer, the book publishing company, and Summit Entertainment.

Thank you for your time. xoxo.


	27. Just A Little Bit's Enough

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

I had a restless sleep that night, I couldn't even make it back to my own house, for fear that Katherine might try and seduce Damon, due to my knowledge of his infatuation with her. I didn't trust her, just like he seemed to not trust her, especially _around me_. I had attempted to fall back into a heavy slumber in one of the six bedrooms that stretched throughout the Salvatore Boarding House, trying to lay still every time Damon discreetly checked to make sure that I was alive, that Katherine hadn't decided to come and make a meal out of me. I shoved one of the pillows over my head as the clock struck 3:30 AM, sighing heavily and letting out a small groan, squeezing my eyes shut in hopes that it would instantly make me fall asleep, but it never happened. My body was as betraying as it was alert, I knew from my limited, fuzzy memories that Katherine wasn't my biggest fan — and that made me just as paranoid as Damon was. I swallowed heavily, dragging the pillow away from my face when there was a small, barely audible knock against the door, and listened as it pushed carefully open without even waiting for me to respond. I prayed that it wasn't Katherine, slowly opening my eyes; I let out a sigh of relief when my eyes settled on the frame of Damon. I could barely make him out in the thick darkness that enveloped me, but I knew he could see me perfectly fine, as if it were as bright as the sun in the room.

"You're awake." He mumbled blandly.

"I can't sleep." I replied softly as I pushed myself to sitting up on the bed, hugging the nearest pillow to my chest.

"Come on." Damon didn't wait for a reply, my eyes didn't make out much, but I could just barely see that he was moving. Before I knew it, I was scooped up off the bed, my legs dangling over Damon's arms and my head resting on his shoulder; I was being carried _bridal style _out of the one of many guest rooms, I rubbed at my eyes as Damon headed down the hallway. There was a faint light at the end of the hall coming from Damon's room; he closed the door with his foot as we stepped into the vast bedroom.

I yawned softly, my eyes fluttering. I don't know how, but as soon as I was in Damon's arms, I was hit with a tidal wave of tiredness. Damon placed me on his bed, I was surprised to feel him sidle up next to me, his arms constricting protectively around me; I smiled to myself, sliding my head to resting on his chest. His hand ran up and down my side lightly, I pushed my body closer, shivering gently, snaking my arm across his waist to hug myself more against him. My eyes fluttered shut, and all the weight was lifted from my chest, almost instantly; rising and falling evenly, my breath soft and gentle, I no longer worried about Katherine. All that ran through my mind, was Damon Salvatore.

—

Damon was not present when I woke up the following hours, but I was pleased that I'd been able to get a decent amount of sleep after officially-unofficially meeting Katherine Pierce. I slowly sat up on the bed, pushing my matted hair away from my face and rubbing at my eyes childishly, letting out a small yawn, swinging my legs over the edge and carefully getting to my feet. I listened for if Damon had hopped in the shower, but there was no noises as far as my human ears could reach, as I left his bedroom, stepping out into the hallway, rubbing at my forearm; I smiled at the sound of Elena's giggling coming from Stefan's room. . . this meant that they were happily back together, it had been a while since Elena and I had a talk about _boys_. It was quiet as I walked downstairs, I can just barely see the dim flames flickering in the fireplace, probably from last night, and then my eyes drifted to see that Damon was sitting on the couch, flipping through a book, his face was hard and stern, like he was concentrating on something, determined. I skipped over to him, flipping myself over the back and plopping to sitting beside him; I couldn't recall the last time I was in _this_ good of a mood, he glanced up from the book and smiled over at me with an admiring look in his eyes that seemed to say, _I'm glad you're finally awake_, which got me to wondering just how long I'd actually been sleeping. But from what I could tell through the windows, it was still early morning, and Damon was probably just agonizing that I was sleeping while he was awake — it was just a guess.

"Good morning, Damon." A soft voice said as someone passed, we both turned our heads to see Elena was putting her coat on, ready to leave the boarding house. My heart leaped inside of my chest and my stomach twisted as Damon swiftly bounded from the couch, having Elena pinned against the wall in a matter of seconds, a harsh flicker in his icy eyes.

"What are you doing here? I told you to leave." Damon nearly growled in Elena's face.

"What is your problem?" Elena gasped.

"You're wearing her clothes? Like that's gonna work." Damon observed, an unpleasantly sour tone crept in his voice. My eyes widened; _this_ was Katherine? She had decided to pose as Elena, but for what reason? Had she been messing around with Stefan upstairs as well? Did Stefan _know_ this? Slowly, I got up from the couch, I swallowed heavily, my eyes trained on them.

"You think I'm Katherine? Why would you think that? Katherine's in the tomb!" Elena stared at him, confusion clouding in her brown eyes, her voice softened, "Isn't she?"

Damon released her, just as Stefan comes downstairs, he looks between Elena and Damon, "What the hell's going on here?"

"I don't know, you tell me. Is Katherine in the tomb or not?" Elena stepped away from the wall, her eyes sweeping to Stefan, who fled back upstairs, with Damon following. I ran after Damon, I wasn't sure if Elena was coming after me. We stood in the doorway, as Stefan slammed Katherine into the wall, who's eyes widened in panic and fear.

"What are you doing!" Katherine almost yelled.

"How could you do this?" Stefan asked through his teeth, pressing his arm more firmly, harshly against her.

"Stefan, you're — hurting me!" Katherine gasped out, her face contorting in pain.

"Stop it, Katherine!" Stefan growled at her.

"Stop what?" I watched as the scene slowly unfolded, as Elena's footsteps echoed into the room, Damon and I turned to see that Elena was leaning against the wall. "It's getting really easy being you." Stefan moved away from the real Elena, as she smoothed down her clothes, looking at her boyfriend, and then at her doppelgänger suspiciously.

"What is she doing here?" Elena asked.

"When we killed Elijah, it broke the compulsion and freed the bitch from the tomb." Damon snarled as he explained what Katherine had told him —us— the night before, looking briefly at me, before looking over at his brother and his girlfriend.

"How's that possible?" Stefan was the next one to ask a question.

"He's an Original. They have all sorts of special powers." Katherine replied nonchalantly, playing with the scarf that was around her neck.

"I don't want you here." Venom dripped in my cousin's voice; I could see it in Elena's eyes that she would give more than anything to strangle the female with that scarf if capable of killing her with such a simple way; but no, Katherine had to be a vampire. She spoke to Damon and Stefan, "Get her out of here."

"You _need _me, Elena." Katherine retorted. "You all do."

"Like hell." Stefan shot back.

"We all want the same thing," Katherine started walking towards the four of us; I hadn't even noticed that I moved closer to Elena, Stefan, and Damon. Subconsciously I wanted to be as far away from her as possible, for fear that she might hurt me because she was able to, and that's exactly how it became in this small but spacious bedroom that belonged to Stefan Salvatore. "Klaus dead." She looked at the two vampires first before her gaze settled on Elena. "Yet here you all are, running around like chickens with their heads cut off."

"I don't need your help." Elena spat. "And I don't want it."

"And that's incredibly stupid of you. Do you know where Klaus is? When he's coming, what he looks like?" Katherine's eyes lightened as she became intrigued, elated, as she questioned them. I kept silent, this had nothing to do with me, I had no clue who Klaus was, I'd never even heard his name before.

"If you know something, say it or get out." Damon demanded in a growl.

"Fine." Katherine shrugged. "Then I'll just go to the grill and have some lunch..." Her voice trailed off, "maybe Aunt Jenna's free for a bite." I watched as her lips curved into a smirk before she disappeared from the Salvatore boarding house; Elena looked at Stefan, who's eyes were locked on where Katherine had been standing only moments ago. I felt Damon's hand against mine, squeezing softly, as if I were the one in danger. I couldn't help but smile, as the knot loosened in my stomach, now that Katherine was no longer in the house and I was beside Damon with seemingly no worries; we left to go downstairs so Stefan and Elena could continue getting ready for school. I figured taking a day off to help Damon with whatever he was doing, wouldn't do any harm to my grades, seeing as I was always on top of my work the minute I'm back in school. I was a lot more lenient in Mystic Falls. And, I could also tell him about my plans on flying out to Forks soon so I could see my Dad and Jacob, and _Emmett_, since Alice had told me that he was missing me like crazy — there was more to the story. I've missed a lot since I decided to leave.

"Can you fill me in on what exactly's going on?" I asked Damon as soon as we were alone downstairs. He looked over at me, eyebrows raised, and I returned the look by silently telling him that there were no more secrets between us — that remained between us; and he sighed in automatic defeat. I knew that I had him beat; this brought triumph just like it did right before I left for Virginia when Alice had come to talk to me, it was getting easier in this small arguments against vampires.

"Yes." He mumbled as he swept me up into his arms, just like he had done early this morning, with my legs dangling over his legs and my head on his arm. I giggled as he swung us around a few times before he playfully dumped me on the couch, I snorted out a laugh as I fell against the cushions, kicking my legs childishly and holding at my stomach, as Damon sat down on the couch beside me, draping his arm along the back.

"So." I said as soon as I recovered from my laughter. "What's going on?"

"Elena's in danger." Was the first thing to slip through Damon's lips. "She is supposed to be used in this sacrifice, her body has to be drained of blood in order for this guy, Klaus, to break some curse. But Stefan and I don't want that to happen, and we've been searching through her family's old journals for a way to save her life. We made a deal with Elijah, or rather, Elena made a deal with Elijah, but I don't trust him, neither does Stefan."

I nodded slowly, my breath caught in my throat, and my heart sped up in my chest. "You won't... You won't let her die, right?

"We're gonna do everything we can." Damon answered, this caused my heart to return back to it's normal pace and my breathing was normal. "It's gonna be okay."

"I trust you, Damon." I murmured, and he nodded knowingly, but there was no smile on his face, no flicker in his eyes. I looked away, Damon reached over and grabbed the book that he was looking through before the whole Katherine-Elena incident, leaning back and propping his feet on the coffee table. "Are you reading one of her family's old journals?"

"Yeah." He nodded solemnly, his voice dull, as if he was entranced.

"I'm gonna shower." I said as I got up from the couch, playing asking him, "Wanna join me?"

"Cute, Bella." I saw a grin twitch at his lips, and that made me smile. "Maybe in a little bit, I wanna do a little more research."

"Alright."

I padded upstairs to his bedroom and into his connecting bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind me, and turning on the hot water in the shower. I shed my clothes that I'd worn the day before, pulling my hair away from my shoulders as I stepped into the shower, gasping softly as the scorching droplets pounded against my bare skin, my immediate reaction to turn the dial a little more toward the cold water, exhaling in relief when it reached the temperature that relaxed me as I ducked my head under the water, closing my eyes. For a moment, I wondered what it would be like if Edward had turned me into a vampire, how different would things be? Would Damon still be attracted to me, if I resembled Alice, with the cold eyes and ghostly pale, beautiful skin? Or would he think of me as a freak, like a lot of people in Forks thought of the Cullen's, despite how undeniably attractive they are? Would I be where I was now, or is it possible that I'd be Edward's mate, and the incident with Rosalie never happened, I wouldn't know Damon existed? I shook the thoughts from my head, that wasn't something I necessarily wanted to think about now that I was content with everything that was going on in my life.

I was a little saddened that Damon hadn't actually joined me in the shower, but at the same time, I was almost thrilled. I turned off the water, wrapping the white towel off the heating rack around my body before walking out into Damon's room, this stumped me, as I didn't have anything to wear except my clothes from yesterday — Alice would not be proud to know this was my only option. Or it was, until I noticed that there was clothes laying out on Damon's bed, preferably they were Elena's and we were close to the same sizes. I clutched the towel against me as I examined what I had to wear: dark denim skinny jeans and a pale gray/blue Calypso St. Barth Libby Blouse, I recognized as it was something Alice had similarly hanging in her closet but in a dusty rose color. I went back into the bathroom to grab my lingerie, I shuddered just calling it that, and slipped them on, dropping the towel to the floor as soon as I was covered, standing at the end of Damon's bed, gathering my damp hair and piling it messily on top of my head, a hairstyle I wasn't too fond of, but figured to just go with it.

"Don't you look hot." A voice commented. I froze, suddenly feeling like ice had been injected into my veins, at the sound of Damon's voice. But just become I couldn't physically move, that didn't stop the hotness flushing to my cheeks, most likely burning to the color of an apple or a brick. I swallowed heavily, turning to face Damon, plastering a smile on my face to hide my embarrassment.

"Thank you for the clothes." I struggled to keep my voice even, flat.

"No problem... Sorry I couldn't join you, by the way." he cast a wink my direction, "I had something briefly to. . . _do_."

I narrowed my eyes at him, my heart flaring inside of my chest, as I ground my teeth together, especially when he started laughing at my facial expression. "That, is not funny, Damon Salvatore."

"You know it is." he winked at me, his familiar smirk-like grin flickering at his lips. I rolled my eyes, only to discover now that he was standing directly in front of me.

"I have to get dressed." I murmured, my heart stammering at our nearness. No matter what, there was no denial in our chemistry, in the effect that he had. I held my breath as he rested one hand on my bare hip, slowly trailing up my side, then back down again. His eyes never left mine, and I found it extremely hard to think straight, let alone breathe.

"Let me make it up to you." Damon whispered, his own voice was breath-like.

"Damon," I groaned softly, pushing his hand off my warming skin. "I'd like to get dressed, without any interruptions."

His gaze hardened immediately. "What's your deal, Bella?"

"Excuse me?" I glared at him, wondering what the hell he was talking about. My _deal_? What kind of talk was that?

"Never mind," He muttered, clearing his throat. "Bella, can I ask you something?"

"Not really." I crossed my arms over my exposed chest, which earned me an eye roll from Damon. I sighed, "Yes you can."

"Why won't you accept that I love you?" He questioned, I could hear the hurt rising in his voice. What happened to the Damon that hid himself, the real Damon, in order to be protected? But, in reality, I didn't even know how to answer that. . . I loved Damon, and he knew that I did, but why couldn't I accept that he loved me in return? Was it because of Rose? That mystery reporter girl, Andie, even though I didn't know the story with them? My mind just wouldn't register, it wouldn't allow, the way that my heart did.

"Damon, I—I don't even know... I want to believe that you love me." I mustered, refusing to meet his gaze. But Damon's hand was under my chin, forcing me to look up at him while I continued to speak, it was evident in his eyes that he wanted to hear more. "Surely you can understand, after what happened with Edward, that I have some trust issues. Especially after the way _you _hurt me by sleeping with that girl Rose. . . I want — I don't want to . . . Damon, if anything was going to happen between us, I'd like some kind of . . . commitment. . . so—so I know that you're not sleeping around."

"I can't _promise_ you anything. But I_ do_ love you, even though I don't** show** it." I watched his facial expression carefully but he gave off nothing that showed he didn't meant what he was telling me so far; I opened my mouth to say something in return, but he immediately cut me off, "But I _am _willing to **try **with you, Isabella Swan. I just need you to trust me."

I thought this over quickly, lowering my gaze to the floor. For a moment, I forget all about everything that's happened with Edward, I forgot about Katherine, Elena, Stefan, Alice, Jenna, Alaric, Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline... I forgot about everyone, and everything, that didn't involve Damon. I swallowed heavily, listening to the sound of my erratic heart — I knew what I wanted, and Damon was willing to at least try. But the real question was, could I trust him, could I give him that one chance, without screwing up our friendship as well as a relationship? Would I _regret _it? Would _he_? What would be the outcome, in the end? Would I have a happy life with him, could there be a possibility of me entering the immortal world somewhere along the line, in the future if things turned out good for us?

There was endless questions, but there wasn't enough answers. But I knew the one answer, to the one question.

"_Yes_." I whispered. "I trust you, Damon."

_Don't make me regret it. _I thought to myself as Damon lowered his face to mine, kissing me softly, before pulling away and exiting the room, leaving me to finally get dressed so I could join him downstairs in the conquest of digging up information that could save my cousin's life when it came down to the sacrifice with the man called Klaus. My heart took a leap, and then a fluttering of imaginary butterflies was behind the space in my belly button. So far, I knew it was the right choice.


	28. All About Trust

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

I walked down the stairs to the grand living room, my hands swinging gently at my sides, to be greeted by the sight of Damon rearranging and organizing the pile of Gilbert journals that were on the table. I paused on the bottom step, gripping on the bottom part of the banister, when Katherine helped herself to joining him. I held my breath, and swallowed heavily, watching as she stood close to him, looking seductive, even still dressed in the Elena get-up. I couldn't help but roll my eyes as she innocently asked what he was up to, and then smirked when he replied that it was none of her business; Katherine made a noise under her breath, I dropped gently, soundlessly to the main floor, but didn't move away from the staircase. I watched as Katherine tried looking over Damon's shoulder, wanting to get a better view of what he was doing, Damon shifted his body so it blocked, I wanted to laugh: he_ really_ didn't trust Katherine, with anything.

"We're pouting now?" Katherine mused, Damon didn't respond, focusing on organizing the books, and she continued, "are those the Gilbert journals?" I chuckled softly to myself as he still wasn't answering her, she growled under her breath before she spoke, "How am I supposed to help you if you won't tell me what you're up to?" I could hear the patience slipping away from her voice, it seemed that she didn't like to be ignored, just like any common female.

Damon finally turned to look at her, "Can _you_ tell me where a bunch of witches were massacred in this town a couple centuries ago?"

"No." She replied simply.

"Then you can't help." He smirked at her, then went back to what he was doing with the journals. She tried reaching over him to grab one of the journals, but Damon slapped her hand away; Katherine recoiled by slapping him on the arm. Damon grabbed Katherine, he was quick to have her pushed across the room onto a chair, his massive body hovering over hers. I bit my tongue, trying not to think of how _sexual _they looked, but I knew that Damon was completely over her.

"If it's any consolation, I'm glad that you're not dead." Katherine purred, Damon retaliated immediately, pushing himself off Katherine, who was getting up from the chair, tossing her Elena-straightened hair over her shoulder, her face inches from his. "Emily Bennett told me about the massacre. It was a big deal in witch folklore. When a witch dies violently, they release a mystical energy marking the place of their death with power."

"Elijah wanted to know the site of the massacre."

I took a deep breath, walking toward them with my hands behind my back, I couldn't stop my curiosity any longer, and I was fairly uncomfortable with the way Katherine was, heightening my distrust for her. "What was he going to do when he found it?" I asked, taking my bottom lip gently between my teeth and gnawing softly, my eyes fixed on Damon, knowing he'd had a talk with him the previous night.

"I don't know." Damon sounded unsure for himself on my question. "What did papa bitch and baby witch have to say?"

Katherine and I both turned our heads, hearing the sound of Stefan's voice as he approached with, "isn't she gone or dead yet?" Stefan was leaning against the frame of the open way that led into the grand living room, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"For the last time, I'm here to help." She sounded extremely impatient and angered that they weren't believing her; and everyone who knew of Katherine, they had every right to not trust the manipulative bitch, "Can we skip the secrets, hmm?"

Stefan started walking towards us, an amused look on his face while he spoke, "Elijah had no weapon to kill Klaus but he believed that if a witch could channel enough power... They wouldn't need one." I looked over at Damon to see his reaction, but Katherine's resembling face was in the way, I looked back over at Stefan, he was probably wondering what I was still doing here since this didn't pertain to me.

"Like the power you get from a spot marked with a hundred dead witches?" Damon had looked up from what he was doing to face his brother, Katherine had her eyes trained on the younger Salvatore as well. This intrigued us all. . . I don't know how, but I will find a way to get myself involved so that we could save Elena's life before the sacrifice comes. If Katherine thought of herself as helpful, well, so could I.

"We just need to find it." Stefan replied smoothly.

—

Damon and I sat on the couches, each of us going through one of the many Gilbert journals, my eyes kept narrowing as I tried reading what Elena's ancestor had scrawled into the book, damn, I thought I had horrible handwriting. This was much worse than mine, I couldn't help but wonder why Damon didn't have any trouble. My attention lifts when I see that Katherine has joined us as well, sitting relatively close to Damon while I'm curled up on the opposite end of the couch with my knees pulled to my chest, the book in my lap. I let my hair fall in front of my face, trying to continue reading the next entry from Jonathan. I watched through my curtain of hair, that Katherine seemed to be trying to read what Damon was reading, pulling a book into her lap and flipping to a random entry in the journal that she obtained. Damon looked up at her, eyebrows raised curiously.

"Can I help you?" Damon seemed to not be amused by her presence. How could he ever have fallen for her, in 1864?

"I'm bored," She told him before she went back to reading, but then quickly switched to reading what was in the book that Damon was holding. " 'Emily Bennett was taken by the Council today. They kidnapped her from her home and took her to the same location her ancestors were burned a hundred years ago.' So Emily died on the site of the massacre, too. Does it say where?" She looked at Damon, then at the book, trying to further her reading, trying to take the journal from him, but he doesn't let her.

"Nope." Damon shook his head. "You know this whole friendly, cooperative thing?"

"Mhm-mhmmm." Katherine nodded skeptically.

"I don't buy it." He bluntly told her, narrowing his eyes at her.

"I have no reason to lie to you, Damon." Katherine feigned innocence, or at least that's what I could hear in her voice.

"Lie." Damon called her out, but that didn't seem to phase her as she told him that she was hungry, casting a quick glance in my direction with a smirk playing on her full lips. I swallowed heavily, pushing my hair away from my face, watching as Damon ground his teeth together, his hand clamping down on Katherine's thin wrist that withheld a little charm bracelet. She whipped her attention to him, raising an eyebrow, the look in his eyes silently told her that I was off limits. I tried not to smile. "You're the unwanted house guest. Go feed yourself." There was a warning tone in his voice. I watched as Katherine got up from the couch, ripping her wrist out of his grasp and walking down to the basement, where the Salvatore's kept a fridge of blood bags, Damon explained to me one night on how they survived without killing innocent people. Stefan entered the room just as Katherine disappeared downstairs, holding several books in hand that he'd been flipping through.

"Well, nothing in any of these. Find anything?" Stefan asked.

"Nope." Damon and I replied in unison.

"That's too bad." Stefan said.

"Yeah, bummer." Damon focused on the book that was in his hand, as did I.

Our heads snapped up at the same time, Stefan looked in every direction, as we heard Katherine scream the elder Salvatore's name from the cellar. He jumped up, tossing the book onto the couch, fleeing to see what was wrong. Stefan picked up another book, and I slowly stood up, contemplating whether or not I should go see if everything was okay; I looked briefly at Stefan but he showed no sign that I shouldn't, unless he didn't know what I planned on doing. Then again, he may _look_ like Edward, but he _wasn't_ Edward. There was no telepathy involved. It didn't take Stefan very long to drop the book, just as Damon had done, and flitting to the cellar, I felt extremely useless, as I was the only non-vampire in the house, and I couldn't do anything, whatever was happening downstairs didn't involve me. Probably never would, as long as I was human, which also meant there most likely wasn't anything I could do for Elena's safety as the sacrifice grew closer, whenever that was actually being held. I took my place on the couch, going through another book, one that hadn't been read yet, waiting for the three vampires to come back upstairs, curling up in my spot and hugging my knees to my chest, letting my hair fall back in front of my face as if I hadn't moved from the beginning since we started going through the journals. Stefan was just a blur as he left the boarding house completely, Damon and Katherine coming upstairs shortly after, there was blood stained on Katherine's borrowed shirt, and she was holding her hand close to where her heart was, I bit my lip, glancing over at them. Katherine sat down on the couch, Damon tossed her a blood bag, she caught it, and in that same second, Damon stabbed Katherine with a stake.

"What the hell!" Katherine yelled through her bit-back pain.

"That's for not telling me the dagger would kill me." Damon said through his teeth. "Next time... it goes through your heart." He threatened, letting go of the dagger.

"Is that how you treat someone who—" She clenched her teeth as she removed the dagger from her body, "is trying to help you?"

"You wanna help?" Damon retorted, "Start talking."

"I'd love to," she started off coyly. "but you're not going to like it."

"Try me." Damon challenged as he took a seat beside me on the couch, taking the book from my hands and pulling me close, my legs draped across his lap and his arms wrapped protectively around me.

"Fine." Katherine said, rolling her eyes as she looked over at the both of us. "John Gilbert and Isobel want you and Stefan out of Elena's life.

"That's old news." Damon replied, I looked quickly up at him, my eyebrows knit together.

"Who's Isobel? I whispered, he pat my leg as if saying, _tell you later_. I nodded slowly.

"Not the part where he offered me a deal. He knew that killing Elijah would get me out of the tomb, so he gave me a choice. Either I stay and help with Klaus, or he kills Stefan." Katherine had no remorse in her voice, but she didn't sound exactly _proud _either. I clenched my jaw to keep it from dropping, I wanted to look at Damon, but I couldn't take my eyes away from Katherine.

"But he still tried to have me killed." Damon's voice was flat.

"Right." Katherine nodded. "That was part of the deal. I could only save one of you."

"So you chose Stefan. Of course you did."Damon didn't sound surprised. I wanted nothing more to punch her in the face, for choosing Stefan over Damon, for thinking that there _had _to be a choice between the brothers. Couldn't she have figured a way to save them both, so that both brothers continued to live? Especially when she replied that he wanted the truth, asking if he would rather her lie about it. I grit my teeth, Damon's arms tightened around me, as if he could sense how pissed off Katherine had made me so quickly. Shortly after, Damon's phone rang, he answered it quickly, gently pushing my legs off his lap as he got to his feet, ending the phone call. Katherine sat up more.

"Where are you going?" She and I asked.

"Luka Martin's dead. His father's going after Elena." Damon answered. My eyes narrowed, _who was Luka Martin? _

"I'm coming with you." Katherine automatically said, I glared at her.

"No you're not."

"Wait," Katherine's voice was almost pleading.

"I don't need your help; I don't want it." Damon informed as he was preparing to leave the boarding house. He held his hand out to me, I went to take it, when I realized that he was silently telling me that I wasn't allowed to come with, but I turned my glare over to him, I didn't want to be left out, just like Katherine. Only, I didn't know what to say, and Katherine beat me to it.

"I know what we can do, Damon." Katherine insisted. "You _have_ to let me do it."

He sighed, "Bella, I need you to head over to the Gilbert's house, okay? We'll meet you there later."

"Is anyone home?" I inquired.

"No, they're all at the Grill. Just go there, I don't want anything happening to you." His look was sincere, and I decided to go by what he was saying. My eyes flickered to Katherine, her lip was curled in disgust, and her eyes rolled. She didn't like what she was seeing, and that made my heart swell. Fuck you, Katherine. She was probably jealous that Damon was caring for me, and not her, for once, I assumed, that the attention was not on her, and it annoyed her more than anything. Ms Pierce seemed like she was used to getting all the attention, and getting what she wanted, especially when it came to men.

—

Damon dropped me off at the Gilbert house, Katherine smirked at me as they drove away and I made my way up the steps, slipping my hand under the welcome mat, and using the spare key to unlock the door. I flicked on the lights as I made my way through the dark house, turning on the tv so I had some sort of entertainment while waiting for them to come back from the Grill; but I had no idea how long that would take. I could be sitting here all night, with nothing to do except watch tv and make myself something to eat. Speaking of which, I was hungry, and it led me to making a ham-and-Swiss sandwich, putting my food on the plate before walking out to the living room again, plopping down on the couch, crossing one leg over the other. I savored my food, it was nice to have a simple sandwich, as Alice always made some fancy gourmet dinner every night for her, Jasper, and I, which I appreciated, as we took turns making dinner for the evening. I had never been left completely alone in Elena's house, and I found it extremely strange not having someone to talk to. If these were different circumstances, I would have invited Alice over, but I wasn't sure what would be going on after Damon returned from the Grill. My heart skidded to a stop at the sound of someone knocking on the front door, panic washing over me, at how convenient that happened to be; slowly I lifted off the couch and put the plate on the coffee table, walking up to the foyer and opening the door, exhaling in relief when I saw that it was only Alice.

"What are you doing here?" But I couldn't begin to tell her how happy I was that she came.

"I haven't heard from you since yesterday when I dropped you off at the Salvatore's." I could see the worry in my friend's liquid golden eyes, and I frowned. I had meant to call her after the dinner, but that never happened, as I helped myself up to Damon's bedroom, his books, and falling asleep on his bed. She pulled me into a warm embrace, and I smiled as I returned it, hugging her as tight as I possibly could. She rubbed my back sympathetically, before pulling away, giving me a once-over.

"Do you want to come in?" I questioned, Alice smiled and walked into the Gilbert's house, looking around, as if checking to see if anything's changed since her last visit.

"What are you doing here all by yourself?" She asked, making her way to sitting on the couch in the living room, I followed after her, closing the door behind me, and taking a seat beside her. I gave her a look, and she smiled innocently — she saw my future, and possibly Damon's future, which brought her to coming here.

"What did you see?" I didn't stop myself from asking, raising an eyebrow, bringing my legs up on the couch and using my arm for support, cupping my chin in my hand. Alice was silent, and I rolled my eyes, I hated when she did this to me. . . Before everything, Alice was able to tell me everything that she saw in her visions, whether it would be a good or bad one; I was able to handle it, and I wanted to find a way that would make things better. Unless, that's what Alice wanted to avoid.

"Something with Elena." She finally said, her eyes locking with mine. "I want to make sure that you'll be okay, Bella. Something's. . . something's not right about her."

"I'll be fine, Alice." I promised, finding that it wasn't necessary to start explaining Katherine and Elena, as I immediately figured out that Alice had seen whatever Katherine had planned to save Elena from the guy Luka's father, which she most likely saw through Damon's decision in actually letting Katherine help, before telling me that I had to come here. I'd save that conversation for another night, probably when all this chaos was over. I didn't want Alice to try and get involved, that was the last thing that I wanted — being the magnet that I was, I couldn't risk Alice's life by my involvement with Damon. . . Speaking of Damon, I couldn't help but wonder if she knew that we were going to try and be committed to each other, or, rather, Damon was going to try and commit himself to only me.

I was grateful for Alice's alert that someone had come home; moments later Bonnie and Jeremy were coming through the front door, confused as to why the door was unlocked. I jumped up from the couch, bidding a quick, quiet hello to my other cousin. Jeremy was surprised to see me, but he waved and smiled, things had gotten a lot better between us after I'd moved out to be with Alice and Jasper; I looked at Alice before walking over toward them, I could tell that Jeremy wanted to know why I was here. I explained that Damon wouldn't let me go to the Grill, and told me that I had to wait here.

"Luka... I can't believe he's dead." Bonnie was saying in disbelief. "After what we did to him."

"No, after what he did to you. Look, I'm sorry, I know you feel bad about all of this but I don't." Jeremy said to her.

"I couldn't do anything to help. I was useless. I hated it." Bonnie's voice cracked. I swallowed heavily, watching as Stefan and Elena entered the house, I glanced at the younger Salvatore, noticing that Damon wasn't with him, I narrowed my eyes, mouthing, _where's Damon?_, but he pretended to not see. I was tempted to ask what they were talking about, but figured it was none of my business; it should stay between them. "Thank God." Bonnie breathed when she saw the two of them. _  
_

"It's not over yet." Elena said, meeting her friend's gaze.

"What's going on?" Jeremy looked between the two girls.

"He'll explain." Elena said, her eyes flickering to Stefan, then back to her younger brother, before walking upstairs to the second floor, most likely to get ready for bed, ready to call it a day.

"When did you guys get home?" Stefan asked.

"A few minutes ago." Bonnie answered.

"Did you check the house?"

"And why would we check the house?" Jeremy must have hated being out of the loop just as much as I did, it was clearly written all over his face, but no one said anything to him. Instead, Stefan and Bonnie go upstairs; not too long after they are up there, Bonnie's scream is head all through the house. A pained look crosses Jeremy's face, but he doesn't move, I look at my cousin for a moment longer before walking to where I find Damon and Elena standing close together, talking among themselves.

"How did you guys convince her to do it?" Elena was asking Damon, and I knew that she must be referring to whatever plan Katherine had come up with for tonight. Her eyes flickered to me, wondering if I was in on it, I let her know with a simple innocent look that I was just as clueless, just as left out, as she was. Alice got up from the couch, making her way over toward us, a fierce expression surfacing on her pixie face. I grabbed her arm, knowing she was probably going to do something to Elena, given what she'd seen in her vision, I wanted her to wait on her actions.

"We didn't. It was actually her idea." Damon answered.

"Wow. That's. . . not good." Elena breathed, looking relieved but also frightened at the same time.

Stefan and Katherine came downstairs, all eyes fell to them, and Alice's expression was the most shocking — it was evident that she couldn't believe the resemblance between the two of them. I knew how she felt, that's how I assume I reacted when I found out that they looked exactly alike. Alice stared at me, waiting for an explanation, as Stefan was saying that everything was taken care of.

Katherine took off the talisman that was around her neck, her eyes flickering to Alice before settling back on Elena. "I'm guessing you're going to want this back. But your pretty little outfit is going to need a good dry cleaning."

Elena quickly took her necklace from her doppelganger, "you're going to have to get her out of here before Jenna gets home."

"Is that all you have to say to me?" Katherine snapped.

"This doesn't change the way I feel about you." Elena replied earnestly.

"I don't much like you, either, if we're going to be open and frankly, I'd be happy to see you dead but if we're going to try to take on Klaus, we kinda need you to be alive. So I'm not a threat to you, Elena. If any of you are going to believe anything, believe that."

And with that, Katherine left the Gilbert's house, I could tell from the look on everyone's face, including Alice's, that it meant Jenna had arrived back from the Grill as Damon had told me that's where she had been for the night, which meant Alaric was most likely with her as well. Damon and Stefan left, leaving Alice and I downstairs with Elena, as Bonnie and Jeremy headed up to his bedroom for the night. She smiled warmly at us, it was nice to see her again, after being away for so long.

"Hey," Elena smiled back at our aunt. "You made it home."

"Tonight was very weird." Jenna said as she made her way toward us, pulling me into a tight embrace, rubbing my back, I returned the hug, hugging her just as tight, I admit that I had missed seeing Jenna every day, and I barely made my visits to see them now that I lived with Alice and Jasper across town. I had seen more of Damon, than I had of them, and they were the reason I was living here, the reason I stayed in Mystic Falls. Only, now Damon was apart of the reason, too.

"It was nice seeing you, Jenna. But we should get going." I said as I remembered Alice being at my side, I could use this time to explain everything to her, that way she didn't necessarily confuse her visions with Elena and Katherine, if they happened to cross her line of sight through Damon or I. She hugged me once more, I gave a tight hug to Elena before walking outside to Alice, I didn't realize that she'd driven here, as I was surprised to find the Porsche parked right by the curb. She smiled at me, draping her arm around my shoulders as we headed toward her car. We got into the car in our comfortable silence, and she turned the key in the ignition, I told her quietly that I wanted to stop at the Salvatore's since it was on the way back to our house, she kindly accepted.

On our way, I let her know absolutely everything, not leaving a single detail out, and I had finished just before we arrived at the Salvatore's.

"Make it quick." Alice said with a tense smile, I could tell that she was trying to process everything that I'd just told her, all at once.

"I will." I promised, getting out of the car and walking up the steps, not bothering to ring the door bell or knock on the door, slipping inside, closing the door behind me. Stefan was nowhere to be found, but I knew where Damon would be, I bounded up the steps two at a time, gripping onto the banister, careful not to try or fall on my way to the second floor of the boarding house, silencing my steps as I headed down the dimly lit hallway to Damon's room, my destination. I tiptoed past Stefan's room, in case he was rummaging around in there, doing his own thing, and stopped right before the doorway of my . . . boyfriend's room; it warmed my heart to be able to call Damon _Salvatore_, Mystic Falls notorious _womanizer_, my _boyfriend_. I was honestly the luckiest girl, ever. More lucky than when I'd been Edward's girlfriend. I held my breath, as I heard voices coming from inside Damon's bedroom, it sounded like Damon and Katherine; what was she still doing here?

Didn't she have a place to call her own, or...?

I pressed my ear against the wall, closing my eyes, in hopes that it steadied my heartbeat. Somehow, I knew I was going to regret this. Eavesdropping, and trusting Damon with following through in a relationship. Tonight would tell all.

"... you hurt me today." Katherine was saying, her voice was sweet, seductive, and almost sincere. _Almost_.

"Tit for tat." The smirk was visible in Damon's voice, and I wondered what they'd been talking about before I'd come upstairs, what had I missed in their conversation? Either way, this eavesdropping was going to be getting me in a lot of trouble, with Damon, myself, and possibly Alice, if I kept her waiting for a long time.

"You were mean and rough and very monstrous." She continued, her voice dropping into an even more seductive whisper. My heart clenched inside of my chest. If this were anything like an normal Katherine Pierce scenario, she was about to get exactly what she wanted, which just happened to be _my _Damon; and I wouldn't dare going up against this older, more experienced and more viciously vindictive vampire. I just had to wait it out, unfortunately. I also wanted to see if Damon _would_ be the one to give in to her.

"You deserved it." Damon's voice had softened as well.

"I like this, Damon." Katherine mused.

"Katherine." Damon murmured, I could just barely hear the words he was saying now. "Katherine, there are six other bedrooms in this house." I held my breath, squeezing my eyes shut tight, as I listened for what he was about to say next, and I prayed that it wasn't something along the lines of— "Go find one." The next thing I heard, was a loud thud echoing from his bedroom, and a bright smile perched my lips. I let loose of all my nervousness, at the sight of Katherine storming out of Damon's bedroom, not even noticing that I was standing there, and disappearing to find another room to sleep in. I bit my lip, slowly making my way into Damon's room with my hands behind my back. He was looking through another one of Jonathan Gilbert's journals. I cleared my throat softly, which immediately got his attention.

"Hey." I murmured.

"Hey, beautiful." Damon put his book down and beckoned for me to come over toward him; I didn't hesitate in climbing onto Damon's bed. He brought me swiftly into his arms, hugging me close to his chest, pressing his lips softly to my shoulder, his arms tightening protectively around me. I giggled softly, nuzzling myself against him. It felt nice to be in his arms, to feel loved, to know that I was, indeed, loved. But I had to savor this moment, as I had Alice waited outside for me, all I wanted was to say a quick goodnight-see you tomorrow to Damon before going back to the house with my best friend, I was sure that Jasper was losing his mind while waiting for us to return. I turned my head slightly, leaning up and planting my lips to his, soft and sweet. He smiled, holding his lips to mine, in no rush to break away, we both savored this kiss. It was like_ the_ first kiss, just like a first kiss to us.

Slowly, we both pulled away, as my phone started vibrating in the pocket of my borrowed-from-Elena jeans. Damon chuckled awkwardly, and I blushed, pulling my phone out to see that it was Alice who was texting me. I rolled my eyes, expecting a _what's taking so long? _text from her. I clicked into my recent messages, smiling apologetically up at Damon.

**Alice: **_You'll thank me tomorrow! _

My eyes narrowed, as I glanced up once more at Damon, wondering if he knew what she meant, but then I realized he most likely wouldn't; Alice and Damon didn't talk. I got up from the bed, which caused him to frown at my sudden absence in his arms, pushing the curtain away from the wide window and looking around the front yard of the Salvatore's home. There was no sign of the Porsche. I smiled to myself, I definitely was going to thank Alice tomorrow when I saw her. I turned to him, powering off my phone and placing it on the night stand, climbing back up onto his bed, settling myself facing him, sitting in his lap, my arms snaked around his neck, my face inches away from his.

"What was that about?" He murmured, his arms constricted around my waist, his cool breath causing the little hairs on the back of my neck to stand up.

"Just remind me that I have to thank Alice tomorrow, when you drive me home in the morning." I said, right before kissing him on the lips, a little harder than before, but still with that same sweetness that we savored earlier. Only, this time, there was no need, because we had the whole night to waste away in each other's glorious, human-and-vampire company.

And who knows how that will end up, by the time the sun's brilliant rays were peaking in through Damon's curtains.


	29. We Need To Talk

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

The sun was hot on my bare back, and it had no problem in waking me the following morning.

Late morning, maybe afternoon, I wasn't sure. Everything besides the time was clear, though; I knew exactly where I was — in Damon Salvatore's bedroom, on his giant bed, wrapped in his muscular arms; brilliant sunlight streaming through the drawn curtains that framed the wide windows on the opposite side of us. If I had thought to turn my face, the shine would be directly on my paled face. I had been getting far too much sleep when it came down to Damon, but I didn't mind that, I enjoyed being close to him. I, especially, enjoyed being able to wake up next to him — wake up next to my _boyfriend_. The only sounds were our soft breathing and our ever-gentle heartbeats, it was perfect, natural and easy, as he squeezed my naked body softly at my waist.

At this moment, I didn't want to open my eyes, I was far too happy, thinking it over now, I _definitely _had to thank Alice after the night I had; Damon and I both did.

Last night had been like nothing I'd ever experienced. It wasn't an ordinary night to begin with, and the way it ended, just merely two hours before the sun had started to rise, we had drifted asleep, entwined under the soft-as-spiderweb down filled comforter. My head on his chest as it rose and fell evenly, gentle as the waves on the coast of a South American beach. The fingers of his right hand softly trailed down the contours of my spine, while he kept his left hand palmed on my waist, holding our bodies even closer, if such thing were possible; neither of us spoke, he just moved his hand up and down, barely touching the soft skin of my back, tracing small patterns. I swallowed heavily, wondering what Damon was thinking, wondering what the day had planned for us.

"Bella?" His voice was soft. Sleepy, even.

"Hmm?" I didn't part my lips, for I didn't want to let out a yawn, my breath must be terrible. I kept letting the breaths in and out of my nostrils.

"It's almost one." He chuckled.

"And?" I murmured, nuzzling my head against him.

"We have to get up sometime, you know." he was already unwinding his arms from around me.

I shivered as his hand slowly removed itself from my resting against my skin, a tingling rush raced through my body, starting from my toes and zigzagging its way through my veins, circulating to every part if me. I flopped to laying on back, staring up at the high-peak ceiling of the bedroom. I could feel the harsh pounding on my heart inside of my chest, and I knew it wasn't only from sifting through the many blissful layers that clouded my brain as I silently went over the night before's events. I gritted my teeth to fight the smile, but my eyes widened at the unexpectedness of Damon tossing his body to hovering over mine, both hands on either side of me, his slowly hardening erection pressed against my inner thigh; it made my breathing catch in my throat, but I managed to swallow the apple-sized lump that had started to form. His eyes never left mine. And to ruin the moment, I started laughing.

"what's so funny?" Damon's lips pressed softly against mine, silencing my laughter.

"You said we have to get up, and, you're now on top of me." I let my hand smooth down his perfectly sculpted torso, down to passed his hip bone.

"You're just making things worse." His voice was husky, deeper than I'd ever heard. His hand clasping mine, and soon enough, I had my hand on his hard cock. I wrapped my fingers around him, tantalizingly moving, working my hand slowly along his length. I swallowed heavily, I had never really given a hand job before, and I was nervous that I'd somehow mess this up. . . I just had that kind of luck.

"You know you like it." I growled, almost seductively. In response, he moaned softly as my hand continued up and down his now-throbbing, twitching penis. Slowly, I spread my legs apart and guided him toward my sopping heat, but he did not relent, instead his hand was back on top of mine, his hips thrusting forward so that the tip was rubbing against my clit. I bit my lip, to hold back the moan that threatened to escape.

"How badly do you want it?" He lowered his head, whispering softly, breathlessly in my ear. I shivered, and bucked my hips up, trying to slide him inside of me. But his hips pulled back, teasing me, no doubt. I groaned softly, my non-trapped hand gripping at part of his back, trying to pull him toward me, bucking my hips up again, hard to his. He chuckled huskily under his breath, he didn't want to give me what I want, I could tell that Damon wanted me to beg for it. He wanted me to beg for the pleasure, for us to pick up where we'd left off early this morning.

"Damon," I whimpered, my eyes fluttering shut as I slowly started gyrating my hips against his, using my hand to attempt pushing him into my core. But he held back, his hips slowly pulling away from me. "Please Damon," I murmured in a weak moan, the anxiety and impatience boiling my blood, my pulse quickening with adrenaline as I tried to push us together.

"Please what?" He asked, I could tell that he was playing dumb. I love, and hate, him for it.

"Fuck ... me." I said through my teeth, arching my body up from the mattress, almost desperate to have him inside of me, in any way possible.

"Yes, ma'am."

And with that, in one swift motion, Damon was pulsing inside of me, as deep as our bodies would allow, knocking against my walls as he started out in uneven, hard thrusts. I yelped out a surprised moan, my hands grabbing at his back, clutching him against me, my legs instinctively wrapping around his waist. Effectively, immediately, he was pumping in and out, not bothering to hold back the built-up lust that we'd created, his thrusts unyielding. I gurgled a moan, trying so hard not to be loud, I didn't want Stefan to hear us, but from the rate Damon was going, that was becoming harder and harder with the passing seconds, like his thrusts. He buried his head against my breasts, both of his hands gripping tightly onto my hips, forcing our bodies as tight together as possible, moaning against my soft, pale skin, muttering incoherently under his breath, things I wasn't able to pick up with my weak human ears. My body collided with his, I could never get over how perfectly we fit together, like I was made for Damon, he was made for me, it was the most extraordinary thing I ever imagined, I couldn't ask for anything better, anything more perfect than our intimate moments. I had yet to discover anything else.

But then, his head jolted up unexpectedly, a loud groan surpassing his lips. I steadied my breathing as much as possible, pushing my matted hair away from my face so I was able to look up at him. His grip loosened on my hips and his thrusts slowed, this disappointed me. This meant that there was something wrong. I swallowed hard, pressing my hand lightly to his jaw, he gazed down at me, a thin layer of sweat beading at his hairline along his face, I could imagine how sweaty I must already look, compared to him.

"What's wrong?" I muttered.

"I'm sorry." He apologized in another groan, pulling himself out completely. By the time I was sitting up on his bed, Damon had already pulled on a pair of boxers, his usual dark jeans, and was snatching one of his black John Varvatos button down shirts from the back of his chair that was on the other side of the room by the small desk that was cluttered with books, papers, and things that he said were nonsense but he couldn't bring himself to throw out. I pulled the blanket up to cover my naked body, just as Stefan waltzed into Damon's bedroom, not even bothering to look at me, which I was highly grateful for.

"I need to talk to you downstairs." Stefan said. This made sense as to why Damon was apologizing, he had to cut our time short because Stefan was coming.

"Figured _that _much." Damon looked quickly over at me, I could see the apology in his blue eyes, and I smiled reassuringly. I watched as the brothers walked out, closing the door behind them to leave me privacy, which I was also grateful for, most likely because Katherine was still in the house — I wasn't too thrilled about that, especially after Katherine tried coming onto Damon last night, but there wasn't anything I could do. Well, as a human, anyway. But if I were to join Damon in the Immortal world, I just might be able to kick Katherine's ass all the way back to wherever the hell she came from, due to my knowledge of how strong I'd be as a newborn vampire. Unless that, _too_, was a difference between the vampires I'd known and the ones I am just learning about. I made a mental note to ask Damon about it, the next chance I got, or even Caroline... Perhaps, Bonnie?

They might know something. Maybe I could get Alice and Caroline together, and they could talk it out, as well. _  
_

I swung my legs over the bed, carefully getting to my feet, dragging the blanket with me, it pooled at my feet as I walked to where Damon had thrown my clothes, pulling them on, and picking my phone up from the nightstand where I'd left it after Alice texted me. I powered it on, it hummed to life in my palm, and flashed on. I went to Alice's recent messages, telling her that she was able to come pick me up since Damon had something to deal with, with Stefan. Most likely Katherine related. Had she tried seducing him, too? She had written to me that she was on her way, before I even had a message composed.

I guess that's the benefit of being a psychic vampire.

* * *

**Damon's Point of View**

I wanted to kill my brother the moment that I heard his footsteps coming from downstairs. But the way his movements stomped, I could tell that something had either irritated him or something was _dangerously _wrong, for either Elena or Bella. I made my apology to Bella as I had to put a halt in our sex, swiftly yanking on my clothes, just in time to have Stefan come barging into my bedroom, telling me that he needed to speak with my downstairs — which meant that this was extremely serious, that he couldn't say anything in front of Bella. We strode out in silence, closing the door behind us to let Bella get dressed in private, in peace, it would be fairly awkward if Katherine happened to pass by my bedroom to see a stark naked, or barely clothed, Bella, especially after the way I'd rejected her last night before commemorating with Bella.

"Isobel just showed up at their front door." Stefan said the moment we were in the grand living room.

"What's she doing here?" I was surprised that we'd hear from Elena's biological mother again, and from the look on my brother's face, so was he, and just about everyone that was at the Gilbert house this once fine morning.

"I don't know. That's what I'm going to find out." His voice was furious. Our heads turned at the sound of someone's footsteps, and I exhaled in relief that it was only Bella that was coming to join us downstairs. I glanced at Stefan from the corner of my eye, wondering what he was going to say, if he was going to continue talking or rather wait until Bella went off to venture somewhere else in the house, at the same time Katherine stepped into the living room.

"I don't think you should tell them that I'm here." Katherine said, refusing to look in Bella's direction. I tried not to smirk, watching as Bella slowly made her way toward me, clutching her phone with firm grip in her hand. She bit her lip nervously, it made my own pulse quicken at how vulnerable my girlfriend looked. I never thought that word would bring me so much . . . of everything, all at once, and it was an amazing feeling. I hoped it would last long.

"What? Why?" Stefan asked.

"Alice is coming to pick me up." Bella said softly at the same time, standing directly in front of me. In that moment, I forgot Stefan and Katherine were in the same room, all I focused on was the beautiful girl that clouded my vision, and consumed my thoughts; I nodded solemnly, reaching up to cup her face in my hand slowly, softly kissing her on the lips.

"Will I see you later? I muttered, and she nodded. "Good." I smiled, "See you later."

"It's better if she and John not know that I stayed in town after I got out of the tomb." Katherine was saying as I said goodbye to Bella, my attention quickly snapping back into reality. Bella was already heading out the door, closing it behind her politely, I could hear the sound of her friend's Porsche tires crunching and the engine roaring against the gravel driveway.

"You're the one in cahoots with them. You made a deal with John that almost got me killed." I retorted bitterly.

"I did what I had to do, to get out of the tomb." Katherine gave me a matter-of-fact look, Stefan and I rolled my eyes, sharing a look of annoyance, as Katherine continued with, "Now I'm reconsidering my alliance."

"What do you know?" My brother interrupted before Katherine could utter another word as she turned around to face us.

"I know that I want Klaus dead, which puts me squarely on team you." She glared at the both of us. "Besides, if you two ever need me to swap places with Elena again, the less people know that I'm here, the better." Together, Stefan and I sighed, we knew that she had a point, that way we weren't endangering her life any more than it already was. "Think about it, Stefan. Come on. Be smart."

"Tell you what." Stefan sighed, there was not much else we could approach from this angle. "Why don't you, uh..." he started thinking quickly for something to be done. "Call Alaric and let him know that his wife just showed up on his girlfriend's doorstep." He decided, and with that, he looks at the both of us before exiting the boarding house. Katherine and I looked at each other.

—

About an hour later, I was surprised that I had received a call from Bonnie, who needed me to drive her somewhere. Normally, I would decline, but I was in a more generous mood, and decided that it would be a Good Samaritan thing to do, to drive Bonnie to where she wanted, though, I wasn't surprised that Jeremy would be joining us. Bonnie instructs me to drive to an apartment complex, says it was where the Martin witches were living, and she needed to get something from there. I couldn't help but roll my eyes, once again, agreeing to drive her, since I had nothing better to do with my day, and I wasn't fond of being in the house with Katherine, or leaving Katherine alone in the house, but I was glad she said she had somewhere to be. I didn't ask questions. No more than fifteen minutes later, I pulled my Camaro up in front of the complex, and walked up to the Martin's floor with Bonnie and Jeremy following close behind; I jiggled the doorknob, thankful that the door was unlocked, pushing it open. I stuck my foot out, wiggling it around as I grinned that I was able to enter, since I hadn't been invited when they were_ alive_.

"Yep, everybody's dead." I said as I stepped inside, grimacing at the sight of Luka's crispy corpse on the living room floor.

"We should pack up the grimoires. They spent years collecting them. I wanna make sure they're safe." Bonnie was saying as her and Jeremy shuffled into the small but spacious apartment after me. I nodded, I didn't really care, I had unknowingly killed this guy, yet I felt no remorse — I was glad that hadn't changed about me. Human life meant so much but so little, to me. I had Bella and Elena to thank for that, I suppose. They kept me grounded, and so did my brother.

"You know," I snickered to myself, looking at Luka's body. "we could just get another match and cremate him."

"Don't be disrespectful." Bonnie snapped. "not to him."

"Fine," I sighed heavily. "I'll bury him."

"What exactly are we looking for?" Jeremy asked, his eyes flickering around the considerably-empty Martin apartment.

"According to Luka's dad, one of these contains a spell that'll let me harness the energy that's left behind when a witch dies violently." Bonnie made her way toward where Luka's body was, I noticed that there were tons of books lining the walls and piled on the floor. It reminded me of my bedroom, almost. I chortled a breath in the back of my throat, tapping Luka's foot with the tip of my shoe.

"I didn't know you and father witch were so close." I grinned to myself at my own joke to Bonnie.

"We weren't," I could feel Bonnie glaring at me. "but when he gave me my powers back, he gave me a message." She paused, looking around at the many books in the room. "If I can find the spot in town, where the old Salem witches were burned, I can harness their energy to use when I need it."

"Great. We'll have to put that on our list of things to do today." I said. "Harness ancient dead-witch power."

"You know where the witches were burned?" Bonnie almost gasped.

"Did I forget to mention that?" I grinned sheepishly, looking over at her.

"Are we gonna have to read through every one of these books till we find the right spell?" I didn't notice, but Jeremy had picked up one of the grimoires and started reading through it.

"Not exactly." Bonnie shook her head; she looks at the shelf, closes her eyes and raises her hands. I watched as all of the books fall and one of them opens right in front of her. She takes it, "It's this one." I didn't want to admit it, but that was pretty impressive since she started accepting her witch Ju-Ju powers. I remembered when she even pulled out one of the books in the library, Call of the Wild, when she wanted to show me that she was powerful enough on Founders Day. My phone went into a vibration frenzy in my pocket, I pulled it out to see that I had a message from Bella. I swallowed hard, praying that she wasn't having second thoughts about us _already_. I had done nothing wrong. But that anxiety disappeared at the sight of her message, sort of.

**Bella: **_we need to talk. Me, you, and Alice. Jasper won't be there._

Another message rolled in quickly.

**Bella: **_come to my house. It's important, Damon.  
_**Damon: **_okay _

"Great. Grab the rest. Let's go." I was, thoroughly, impatient, as I slid my phone into my pocket after typing back a quick message.


	30. Difference

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Thirty**

Not even thirty minutes after ditching Bon-Bon and Baby Gilbert, I was listening to the sound of the gravel beneath the tires as I turned my Camaro up into the narrow driveway that led me to the house where my brother was once tortured by a merry band of vampires that escaped from the tomb on my accidental behalf, and swallowed heavily, feeling a quivering inside of my stomach, suddenly nervous as to what Bella and Alice might need to talk to me about. Could Bella be rethinking our relationship? Or did she need my moral support to tell Alice that we're going public? But then again, my girlfriend was stronger than she used to be, from what I know, and she wouldn't need me for something so simple like this, and it was highly unlikely for Bella to be thinking of calling it quits already after such short time, especially after all we've been through. I geared my car into park and climbed out, slamming the door behind me, shoving my keys into my pocket as I bounded up the steps, stepping inside with ease as I had already been invited inside. I heard Alice's high pitch, bell-ringing voice before I could even utter a word, summoning me to down the narrow hallway, I stepped into one of the bedrooms, and with one glance around, I could tell that I was standing in Bella's bedroom — a first for me since she moved out of the Gilbert's home. My eyes settled on the pixie vampire, whose arm was wrapped loosely around Bella, my heart clenched inside of my chest. . . Was she alright?

"What's going on?" I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest, keeping my eyes on the two girls. "Why do we need to talk? What's so important?"

"Well, it's not really . . . important." Bella said slowly through her teeth, rubbing nervously at her arm.

"Then _why _did you call me here?" I tried to hide the annoyance in my voice, _although_ I was grateful to be here, to be away from the kids.

"Just sit_ down_, Damon." Alice snapped; I didn't pick her for one to give much of an attitude, which meant this _must_ be important, _to them_. Sighing, I helped myself to just remain standing where I was, not going to let Alice tell me what to do; I raised an eyebrow at them, waiting for someone to begin talking, but they were both silent.

"So what's this great importance?" I asked.

"Well... I just, well, I want to know the differences." Bella muttered, training her eyes on me. My eyebrow raised a fraction higher. _What?_

I leaned a little away from the wall, "What differences?"

"Between you and I." Alice said factually, as I slowly nodded, I was quite curious myself on the mystery vampire and I, my brother and Vampire Barbie. Alice cleared her throat, crossing one leg over the other, I watched them both carefully, as she started with, "Tell me about you, Damon. The vampire _lineage_. I got enough information _about you_, from Bella."

I slumped against the wall again, relaxing my posture, my eyes flickering up to the ceiling as I thought of what I might be able to tell Alice, from what I knew about myself, Stefan, Caroline, Katherine, and every other vampire that I've come across in my life on this earth since 1840. "Well, for one, I don't feed on animal blood the way Bella tells me that you and your mate do. That's my brother.. You'd get along with him. But, um, Stefan doesn't get as satisfied as I do from drinking straight from the vein or a blood bag. He isn't as strong, either. Stefan can get hurt easier, and it takes him a while longer to heal than I would." I chuckled to myself, thinking back to when he'd stabbed me with a knife, hastily ruining my John Varvatos shirt, that dick. I'd stabbed him in return, but his wound didn't heal as quickly as mine.

"Our strength isn't based off blood intake, entirely." Alice insisted softly. "It's age... But newborn vampire's a lot stronger than the older vampires, for the first few months of their new life. There also is the enhanced abilities some vampires are gifted with. My brother Emmett, his ability was strength. He is a lot stronger than Edward or Jasper combined."

"It's the same for us, too, I guess, except the whole newborn vamp thing. See, my brother Stefan's friend Lexi was born in the 1600's or something, and she was a lot stronger than me because she drank human blood and she was two centuries older than Stefan and I." I added, Alice nodded thoughtfully. _One similarity, two differences? _Her expression seemed to say.

"Bella tells me that your face . . . changes?. . . when you're hungry?" Alice quipped.

"Yeah." I beckoned for Bella to come over to me, I watched as caution struck Alice's face, but I silently reassured her that everything was going to be okay. She gnawed on her bottom lip as Bella approached, smiling softly up at me, there was no trace of concern on her face. She trusted me, just as much as I trusted her. "If you can't handle it, pixie, just hold your breath until I give you the go."

"Yeah, yeah." Alice rolled her golden eyes. _That_ was something I wanted to learn about.

I used my nail to make a small incision on Bella's wrist, I watched as ruby beads started surfacing from her little cut. The burn slapped me hard in the face, as I felt the pulsating veins become pronounced on my face, heralding my vampire visage, the blood flooding my eyes and turning the ice of my iris into a deep, hard and cold blue that's mixed with a death black. I opened my mouth for Alice to see, my two canine's extending. Bella thoughtfully thrust her wrist up toward me, allowing my senses to become more aware of the blood so close to me; I could see Alice stiffening where she sat, she was nowhere near as comfortable with this as Bella was. But I didn't care. I wasn't going to hurt her, and I knew for a fact that I wasn't. I moved Bella's wrist away from me, biting into my own, leaving behind a crescent shaped mark that matched the one on Bella's wrist, and guiding her toward the blood gushing from my skin. Her mouth automatically placed over the wound, Alice and I watched as she took in my blood for a few seconds before pulling away. Bella lifted her wrist to Alice to show her that the incision I'd made was gone.

Alice was, dumbfounded.

"Vampire blood can heal anyone, except werewolves." I explained.

"Bella mentioned that... that's how you turn people into vampires?" Alice didn't look too sure of herself.

I nodded. "Somewhat. If a person dies with our blood in their system, they come back in transition. They have the choice of drinking human blood, or death, within hours of waking up. If they believe they can't handle the life style as a vampire, they usually just desiccate and die."

"Sounds complicated." Alice bit her lip; could she be wondering how many people I've turned into vampires? Not many, sweetheart. I'm not careless. Although, there could be people out there that have unintentionally been turned into vampires due to my blood. But then again, I wasn't a helpful person until I met Elena, before her, I was a drain-and-go kind of guy.

"Believe me, it is." I agreed. "So all you have to do is bite and the 'venom' spreads?"

"Yeah." Alice said, as Bella took her place back beside her. "Anything you wanna know about me?"

"Oh yes." I nodded enthusiastically. "Why are your eyes gold?"

Alice's torso twitched a little as she exhaled a small, exultant laugh. "Funny," She breathed softly. "I was going to ask you the same thing, Salvatore. It was very strange seeing that you had _blue _eyes and Stefan has _green _eyes. The first I've seen since I've been alive. Those were your human eye colors, I'm assuming. My breed of vampire, you have gold eyes if you feed on animal blood. Red is for those who feed on humans, and when you're a newborn. Black is when we're thirsty."

I nodded thoughtfully. "What were your eyes as a human?"

"Brown." She replied.

"I didn't know that," Bella interjected before I could ask or say anything else. "What was Jasper's?" Alice repeated that they were brown. Funny, I assumed that they would be blue since most blondes had blue eyes. Guess things aren't always what you expect, are they? "I have a question." Bella looked between Alice and I. "Damon, why don't you sparkle?"

"I live in the real world where vampires burn in the sun." I smirked at Alice, who only rolled her eyes, then wiggled my finger that held my daylight ring.

I thought back to when I'd told that to Caroline, during my first visit back to Mystic Falls. I had been reading this book called Twilight, and the vampires sparkled just like Alice did. How ironic. It also makes me think back to how the guy in the novel, Robert, was so whipped to that Kristen girl, whom I still found nothing special about, as I'd picked that book up once again, trying to get interested and failed. Did Stephenie Meyer know that there were real sparkling vampires running among? Probably not, but let's allow her to think that it came from her creative mind. **  
**

"Is there anything else?" I looked at the digital clock. "And for the record.. There _is_ more than one species of vampire."

"Why? Somewhere you need to be? Someone you have to see?" Alice inquired, raising an eyebrow, completely ignoring my statement about different vampires. I could hear the venom in her voice. What had I done, or what was I going to do (thanks to her "subjective visions" Bella had warned me about for future preferences) that could make her sound so hateful all of a sudden? What_ever_, suit yourself, Bunny Killer.

"There's something going on at the Lockwood's and I was hoping Bella could accompany me." I glowered at Alice.

"I'd love to go, Damon." Bella smiled, it was that familiar Bella smile that brightened my day, knowing that she was happy.

"You can come too, Alice." I input politely.

"No _thanks_." There was no trying to hide the hostility in her voice. I pretended not to notice as Alice leaned toward Bella, her lips barely touching as she spoke in a low voice. From what I heard, there was something about someone getting bitten, but she couldn't see who had been bitten, and who'd done the biting. But Alice glared at me from the corner of her eye, which I assume she automatically thinks it was me, due to my past experience, especially when I'm hurt, upset, or angry. But since I've known Bella, I've barely hit those points. . . to an extent, if that's a good way to put it.

"We just have to stop at my house first." I held my hand out politely toward Bella. She kissed Alice on the cheek, stood up, and grasped my hand, lacing our fingers intertwined. I winked at Alice mockingly, as we walked out the room, house, and out to my Camaro.

—

I parked my Camaro in the boarding house garage, rather than in it's usual spot on the side of the house, and brought Bella inside, where I could hear Stefan and Elena — pretty sure it's Elena and not Katherine, I would really be ticked off. I don't want that bitch near my girlfriend; and if she ever did come near Bella, I might hold up to my gain of driving a stake through her heart. Katherine was not to be trusted, and everyone knew that. I glanced at the ring I'd given Bella for Christmas, grateful that she was still wearing it, and reminded myself that I had to tell her the significance behind it, and why I'd given it to her, now that we knew more about each other, and we have gone public. Bella swayed out hands back and forth as I guided her toward the library where my younger brother and his girlfriend were talking, they looked over at our arrival, Elena smiled at Bella, and I immediately knew that it was definitely Elena and not Katherine. That bitch didn't smile, genuinely, for shit, unless she was getting something that she wanted.

Elena glanced at me, and then started talking again. Ooh, ouch. "Do you really think that Isobel's telling the truth that word's gotten out about the doppelgänger?"

I could see the uncomfortably in my brother, neither of us were too fond of Elena's birth mother, Isobel Flemming. In fact, no one was fond of her, except for maybe John since they had a daughter together. Alaric couldn't even look at his ex-wife the same, not that I blamed him. I thought back to when Isobel had first come into town; she had wanted to speak with Elena and there was something about Katherine that I can't quite remember, and I had threatened her by saying that I did believe in killing the messenger, because it's sending a message. "Look, I don't trust a word that she says, but I think we'd be stupid to ignore the warning."

"You know, you should just stay here. It's better for us to keep an eye on you." I decided, squeezing Bella's hand as she continued standing at my side. She squeezed my hand in return.

"What, in the house that any vampire can enter? No. Her house is safer." Stefan looked a mixture between annoyed, astonished, and angry.

"Well, then we'll stay there." I insisted, although I'd much rather stay at the house with Bella, without Alice and Jasper there. But that's not thinking of Elena's protection from Isobel, Klaus, a random vampire passing through town, or even Katherine.

"So is that the plan?" Elena looked between the two of us. "Neither of you will let me out of your sight again?"

"Let me know when you come up with a better one." I suggested halfheartedly.

"Fine." Elena sighed in defeat, but she didn't look pleased. "Then one of you 2 bodyguards is gonna have to come with me to the Lockwood luncheon."

"That'd be me." Stefan immediately said.

"Not me. I am already taking Bella," I said. "And then I have witch stuff to attend to with Bonnie."

"Does that mean that you're taking her to the…"

I tapped my ear once lightly at the sound of someone's unwanted footsteps coming into the library, "Shh." Katherine joined us, and I tried hard not to roll my eyes or do anything rash at the sight of her; mentally I was gagging and making different remarks at her that would surely cause my head to be ripped from my shoulders.

"Don't get quiet on my account." Katherine said as she stopped walking, looking between all of us. "If you have a plan to combat the impending vampire doom, please do tell." No one answered her, I looked over at Stefan momentarily. "Seriously, what is the plan to get us out of this mess, hmm? I delivered you a moonstone, a werewolf, and the dagger to lure and kill Klaus, and right now all you have is a moonstone. Or so you tell me."

"No, we have it." I smirked at her.

"Where is it?" Katherine sounded intrigued, like I was going to be giving her answers.

"It's in a very safe place." I didn't bother hiding the mystery in my voice, knowing it wold drive Katherine crazy, and yet again, I wasn't going to tell her a single thing.

"I've been honest with you. Time to return the favor." Katherine almost growled.

"Let me be honest with you." I glowered at her, letting a growl rip in my voice, Bella's hand tightened with mine, as if holding me back, and I was glad that she was. "Don't mistake the fact that we haven't set you on fire in your sleep for trust." Elena looked at Katherine and smiled.

"Fine. Be that way." Katherine turned on her heel and stalked out of the library.

"We'll see you guys at the luncheon." I said to Elena and Stefan, tugging on my girlfriend's hand lightly as I pulled her out the library, walking out to where I'd left my car in the garage. It was silent between us as we both got and I started my car. I glanced at her; Bella looked like she had something on her mind, she always did — she was so easy to read. I pulled out onto the road, going slower than normal, but still fast, so that it gave us some time to talk before we arrived at the Lockwood's. "Is everything okay?"

She looked away from the window to have her eyes on me. "Yeah, just... nervous."

"Why?" My eyes narrowed. "because of Katherine? If that's the case, you have nothing to worry ab—"

"No, no. Not Katherine." She smiled reassuringly.

"Then what?" I turned my attention back to the road. She looked unsure, now. I tried not to frown. "You can tell me, Bella."

"Well, um... I was on the phone with my dad the other day, and, I plan on going to Forks to see him and Jacob." She started out, her voice was soft, she sounded almost frightened — frightened by how I would react. It took me a moment to register what was being said, at first I was okay with this, and then I felt my heart clench inside of my chest. Bella would be going _away_? Across the _country_? _  
_

"When?" I asked.

"I dunno." Bella shrugged. "Soon?"

I swallowed hard, turning on my blinker and gliding into the next lane, then flicking off the blinker. She wasn't asking me to go with her, I assumed, since she wanted to go see her father alone, which I understood, but... we'd just gotten together? I trust Bella, but from what Bella has told me, her friend Jacob was in love with her. That bothered me. And there was also that her ex-boyfriend, excuse me, ex-_fiancé_, Edward. My grip tightened on the steering wheel the more I thought about it, so tight, that my knuckles slowly started turning whiter than bone. The car was silent the rest of the drive to the Lockwood's, but Bella told me quietly that she wanted to go home and change into something more appropriate first, since she was wearing classic jeans and a t-shirt. Carol would not be pleased. I went down the back roads to get to the secluded house faster.

We sat parked in front of the house for a few moments, as I noticed that Alice's Porsche was not in the driveway. Bella turned in her seat to face me, a grave expression on her face, right now, she wasn't easy to read, I wanted to know what she was thinking; what could she possibly have to say to me?

"Damon..." she muttered, I turned off the car and looked at her. "What do you think of—"

"You going to Forks? Love it. I want you to see your Dad, I know he probably misses you." I interrupted quickly. I just wanted to get to the Lockwood's, spend a little time there with my girlfriend, then attend to Bonnie, and possibly Jeremy if she brings him along too, which she most likely will. Unless he's forced to go to the Lockwood's too.

"Yeah, but.." She bit her lip nervously. "What do you think of me going to Forks, _with you_? Or, in proper terms, you coming to Forks with me. You'll fit right in, and you won't have to hide like Alice does because of your ring. Not that you'd really need it since it's always raining or always cloudy."

I stared at her, at first dumbfounded. "_What_?" Had I heard her correctly? I was wrong? She _wanted _me to go to Forks with her?

"I want you to come with me, Damon." She said simply, a smile forming slowly. "Please?"

"I, uh... yeah. I'm definitely gonna wanna come with you." I replied. Bella leaned over the console, tilting my head towards her more and kissed me softly. I smiled against her lips, kissing her back a little harder, and then pulled away, "go get changed so we could go to the Lockwood's."

"Or..." A devilish, sexy look crossed my girlfriend's face.

I smirked, watching as she winked, kicked open the door, and took off skipping toward the house. I chuckled softly, taking my keys from the ignition, and getting out of the car, flitting swiftly after her, sliding my hands to under her knees and sweeping her up from the ground, kicking open the unlocked door, Alice must have seen that we were coming or Bella had mentioned something to her through text before we arrived, and I carried Bella all the way to her bedroom, dropping her onto the bed, grabbing her waistband and ripping the jeans down her leg, tossing them to the floor before hovering my body over hers. She gripped the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head, and throwing it in the same direction her pants had gone, cupping my face in her hands, crushing her lips to mine fiercely.

Instinctively, as I unbuttoned my shirt, I started grinding hard into her, my belt digging against her, as I used my other hand to spread her legs a little for me, pushing hard into her. Bella moaned voluntarily against my lips. She dropped one hand from my face, using it to unbuckle my belt, whipping it across the room as soon as it slithered from the belt loops, and tugging my jeans down impatiently. Her hand was wrapped around my throbbing cock as soon as my boxers were pushed out of the way, and guided me into her. I bit into her neck, without the usage of my fangs, and plunged my dick deep inside of her, pushing the whole 27 cm inside her sopping heat. She moaned against me, both hands slapping against my back, her nails digging into my skin, arching her body up, trying to feel more of me. I shook my head, pulling myself out as quickly as I'd pushed myself in, I tapped the head of my dick against her clit, rubbing teasingly, she whined and moaned softly. I chuckled and forced myself inside her again, holding her by the waist, I pulled her down hard into my dick as I pushed up in the opposite direction, listening to the sound of my name coming from deep in her throat, feeling how she pushed harder down until our hips met, her fingers threading through my hair with one hand.

I let one hand touch the floor, the other holding at her back in a slightly upright position, I took no hesitation in pounding her harder and faster than I'd ever done. The concerns of hurting or upsetting her had gone out the window. I pressed my hips harder to hers, fucking her harder and harder with every thrust, grabbing her chin, forcing her to look in my direction. "Look at me, don't look away."

She licked her lips, her legs winding tightly around me, pulling our bodies closer if it were even possible, her head jerking away as she surprised me by flipping our bodies so that I was underneath. What surprised me even more, was how she was keeping the fast and fierce pace, looking down at me, lust flooding her eyes.

"Who do you think you are?" I growled up at her.

Bella grinned, mockingly grabbing my, pulling up slowly and pushing back down hard. "You tell me," She whispered seductively, and then slapped the side of my face softly.

I loved this side of her. It was hot, and it somehow made her even more beautiful than she already was. But I wasn't going down; I shook my head and pushed us off the bed, slamming her hard into the now-closed bedroom door, watching as her head hit the door; I didn't let the pace drop. I held behind her white creamy thighs as I thrust harder and faster now that I was standing. I could feel my cock knocking into her walls, as she slowly started clenching around me, two of my fingers rubbing ferociously at her clit after licking them. She almost screamed my name, dropping one leg to the floor, keeping the other locked tightly around me. She growled softly, quivering as my fingers worked their magic at her sensitive nub, her hand pushed harder onto mine. I took her thigh and brought it back to my waist, pressing my fingers harder at her clit exactly as she silently commanded. My eyes closed for a second, before snapping open, picking up the pace again, feeling like if I'd go any harder, the fragile human girl beneath me would snap. Her legs slid a little more up my waist, her heat tightening and constricting around my shaft, her body arching away from the door and into me, her hips moving hard and in time with mine, she seemed determined to keep up with me.

I jolted unexpectedly as I felt her tighten; I rubbed at her clit harder and faster, my dick pounding her hard. I could hear Bella's panting, feel her hands clutching at my back with her nails digging harder into my skin, dragging down my bare, sweaty back, I was relieved to feel her wetness, her body quivering as she came, hard. I watched her face intently, it just made me want it more, it pushed me to go as hard and fast as my immortal body would allow as she came. Her hips rocked, her pussy growing tighter if such were possible, the arching of her body allowing her to keep up with my pace, almost entirely. I closed my eyes tight, unable to contain myself, coming just as hard, my body giving out so quickly, never had I came so hard in my entire life.

All of this, was completely unexpected.

"So... about the Lockwood's?" She giggled, breathlessly, looking up at me.

I admired the thin, sheer layer of sweat that coated her naked body. It was better than seeing her with makeup. But I chuckled at her, "Want me to let you get dressed?"

"We don't . . . have to go." Her attitude changed quickly, and I smirked. I corrupted her, and I was damn fucking proud of it.

"It'll be nice to let everyone know that we're together." I teased, winking playfully.

"Yeah." She playfully rolled her eyes at me.

I slowly pulled out, unhooking her legs from around me, letting her feet touch the ground before completely letting her go. I touched my index finger under her chin, tipping her head up towards me, and kissed her softly, slowly, "_I love you_." I meaningfully whispered.

"I love you too." She whispered back, stepping away from me, and walking to find something to wear for the luncheon.

I got myself dressed and grabbed my phone, sending a quick text to Bonnie to let her know that I might be a little late, she, of course, did not respond, because I knew she didn't really care. She just wanted to get where we're going, and get it over with. I wasn't any more thrilled, Bonnie Bennett. She knows that.

* * *

**AN: **sorry I haven't updated in a while. School's almost over, and I might be attending summer school. I got a job now! So that means slower updates, possibly, it all depends on when I'm working, and for how long. I know this was a little bit of a rushed chapter, but I was eager to move on. For the record, for intentional purposes, I changed the names of Edward and Bella in the actual novel to Robert and Kristen. It only seemed appropriate; so there was no confusion there. Also, what are your thoughts on this chapter? This story so far? Let me know!

Disclaimer is the same as it's always been.

Love you long time. XOXO.


	31. Not Real, Is It Real?

**Author's Note: **Just so we're clear, I am spacing out the time frame of episodes that are taking place. Right now, it's in the midst between Know Thy Enemy and The Last Dance, which will definitely happen in the thirty-third chapter, seeing as how I am excited on writing between — well, I'm not gonna tell you anything beyond there, because I don't want to give any details away that would destroy the element of surprise for my fellow viewers. In this chapter, our lovely couple is taking that break from the reality that has become Mystic Falls.

Enjoy.

* * *

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Thirty One**

Damon squeezed my hand with reassurance as the plane careened down the runway and took off into the jet black sky.

I swallowed heavily, tightening my fingers against his, glancing out the window to watch as we soared up high, breaking through the vapor of thin, abstract-like clouds. My heart took an unexpected lead inside of my chest. I wasn't even sure why I felt so nervous; this wasn't my first time flying and it certainly wasn't the first time I had someone accompanying me on a plane ride; my thoughts briefly went back to a time when I thought I was at my happiest — going to Jacksonville with Edward to visit Renée and Phil, but mostly my mother. But that flicker of a memory was chased away as I felt Damon's lips brush against my temple, taking my attention back inside the plane, as I looked over at him with a smile. Did I look as nervous as I felt? Could he sense that I was anything but calm? I took a small breath, exhaling through my nose. Honestly, at this rate, I might as well be having an anxiety attack. The look in his eyes, told me that he was worrying. But it also said that there was nothing for _me _to worry about, and he was right, wasn't he? But maybe it had nothing to do with flying. . . Maybe it had to do with the fact, I was flying with Damon to Forks, Washington, so he could meet my father. So Charlie could meet Damon Salvatore. So could Jacob, Sue, Billy, my friends that I left behind at my old high school. Maybe I could even dig up some dirt that Damon had with Jasper; did he know the rest of the Cullen family by chance? I shook those thoughts away, as I reminded myself that I shouldn't go anywhere _near _the Cullen premises while staying in Forks for the next eight days. Yes, I know that's not a lot of time, but I'm still not fond of being in Forks, even if amends were made between Edward and I, per say.

"Everything will be okay." Damon's voice was soft, smooth, and sincere.

Right away, I believed him. And as if experiencing Jasper's mood manipulation, all my worry evaporated into thin air; I slouched more in my seat and my breathing was normal. Damon wrapped an arm around me, immediately my head was resting on his shoulder, and I couldn't help but smile to myself. How did I get so lucky? How could I be the one to change the notorious sex machine, womanizing vampire into someone who actually had a heart, and wasn't just a soulless monster that seeked the thirst of blood, lust, and even revenge if the mind was put to it. Was it because _I _believed that Damon had a soul, that I saw the _good _in him when no one else did, not even his own brother? That's when it sparked my mind: maybe that's what Damon needed. He needed reassurance of his _own_, that he wasn't just a nuisance to the world, there was more to him that meets the eye. From what I know, Damon and Stefan had been knocking heads in the most distasteful and horrible ways ever since their disrupt with Katherine in 1864, the promising of eternal misery after they'd been turned into vampires. And despite Elena once saying that even though they consider each other a disgrace to one another, that they will always have each other's backs, there was the little doubt in my mind. . . I'd have to see it first hand, the true brotherly bond between Stefan and Damon._  
_

I hadn't noticed I'd drifted asleep until there was a light tapping on my side, and my eyes fluttered open. Through the tips of my eyelashes, I saw Damon was grinning down at me, and I felt that I was wrapped tightly in his arms. I mustered a sleepy, "yes?" in what felt like a drunken haze, through my disoriented, blurred vision.

"We're landing soon." He chuckled, most likely at the sound of my voice.

But in that instant, I was no longer sleepy, instead I straightened up, every muscle in my body becoming tense at the realization that in approximately ten minutes, I would become face-to-face with my father after so long of not seeing him, after my decision to leave Forks once and for all, with Damon at my side, as my boyfriend. My dangerously sexy boyfriend. If I had the slightest twinge of narcissism, I would _so _flaunt Damon around to Jessica, rub it in everyone's face that gave me shit when I was with Edward. . . they think I'm stupid, I know what was said about me, thanks to Edward's uncanny ability to read minds. Jessica was furious. The only real friend I had, apart from Alice and the rest of the Cullens, save Edward and Rosalie now, I found in Jacob, Mike Newton, and Angela. They were all I really needed, whilst I had been living in Forks.

"Take a deep breath, Bella." Damon insisted calmly, but this time, I found it hard to, now that we were closing in on Washington. Not even his gentle caressing hand on my cheek could make my heart return to it's normal beating, my pulse was quick in my veins, as if I'd been spiked with adrenaline, this was far beyond worry and nervousness. I settled myself, sifting through my emotions, I also picked out that I was excited. Not just because I would see Charlie, but _because _Charlie would be meeting Damon for the first time. . . I conclude that I am very complicated when it comes to the way I feel about certain situations.

It was too soon that Damon and I were exiting the plane, and stepping into the airport, grabbing our bags from the carousel. I kept an eye out for Charlie while Damon made the call back to Mystic Falls to let Elena know for Jenna that we landed safely in Washington, and that he was going to take good care of me in our duration. I smacked my boyfriend a little too hard when I finally spotted the thick brown curls that belonged to Charlie, and he started laughing, asking if that was supposed to hurt him — I playfully glared at him, hiking my bag up more on my shoulder and gripping the handle of my suitcase that Alice had allowed me to borrow. We made our way over to my father, I warned Damon to keep a little distance from me, reminding myself of how Charlie reacted whenever Edward was considerably _dangerously _close to me in the Chief of Police's presence.

"Hi Dad." I chirped as soon as we were done weaving through the thinning crowd that filled the airport.

There wasn't as many people here as there had been when I arrived at the Charlottesville Airport right before Christmas, which I was grateful for, and without a second thought, I flung myself at Charlie and wrapped my arms tightly around my father. I was surprised to feel him hugging me back, but given how long it's been since we've seen each other, it was definitely appropriate. Damon stood awkwardly off to the side, waiting for our small father-daughter reunion to cease. Never had I thought I'd be this elated in coming back to Washington, I wasn't nearly this joyous when I'd gone down to Florida. And I didn't like either state as much as I did Virginia. When Charlie and I parted, I immediately turned to Damon, grabbing his hand with my free one, lacing our fingers intertwined, my eyes flickering to meet my father's.

"Dad, this is Damo—"

"Hello, sir. I'm Damon Salvatore, and I'm so glad I get to finally meet you." My boyfriend shook his hand loose from mine and extended it out toward my father. Honestly, I was astonished, taken completely by surprise at how much of a gentleman my boyfriend sounded, and my heart took a harsh pound at the appreciate smile that formed on Charlie's lips.

"Hello Damon. I'm Charlie Swan; Chief of Police in Forks." I groaned at the introduction, but they acted as if I hadn't made a sound.

They shook hands, and then they respectively let their hands drop to their sides. Charlie hardly ever genuinely smiled at Edward. . . which meant this was a good thing, a _very_ good thing. I stood there, listening as Damon spoke highly of Sheriff Forbes back in Mystic Falls, and how he was close with the force, and somehow it led into the Founder's Council, what privilege, honor, and respect it gave him to have such a highly spoken-of name in the town he'd been born in. Charlie was hooked on every word, while I just stared around the airport, desperate to go back to my childhood home. To be fair, I think they forgot that I was standing not even a foot away from them, trying hard not to listen as they continued talking, the conversation was taking all different directions, and if I didn't do something, we'd be here until morning. Didn't they know it was late at night? My body was ready to give out, even though I'd slept the entire four hours asleep on Damon's shoulder.

"Dad!" I groaned. "Can we just go _home_?"

"Someone's impatient." My Dad chuckled, and then threw me a wink. My eyes widened, _Oh my god_. I let out an inaudible gasp. _What__?_ Did Charlie just **wink **at me? What father in their right mind _did _that, acting so cool and. . . and _knowing_? Charlie was never like this when it came down to Edward, given he had every right not to be fond of my ex-boyfriend from all the shit he's put me through, especially when I finally told my father the real reason as to my departure from Forks. That did not go easy with Charlie, nor would it go down good for any father that truly loved and cared about their eighteen year old daughter. Charlie grabbed my suitcase, narrowing is eyes when he saw that there was only one suitcase, and it was mine. Damon didn't say anything, instead he just walked silently beside me toward where the police cruiser awaited; I groaned, even though Charlie apologized for having to drive us in the cruiser — it was exactly like when I was coming in from Phoenix, only this time Damon was with me. My eyes scanned the parking lot, but the cruiser was nowhere in sight, Damon squeezed my hand; he must see how anxious I am, or was I still feeling nervous?

Only, when we arrived at the car, I wasn't staring at the police cruiser that Charlie drove to and from work. I was staring at the very familiar model of a Volkswagen Rabbit. Charlie said something, but I didn't hear him — I was too distracted by what was in front of me, or better yet, _who_. My breath caught in my throat, as my feet slowly, it seemed like I was walking in slow motion anyway, toward the very one who had driven me _to _the airport after everything happened, and now. . . and now, he was driving me back to where it all started. He moved away from the car, his arms opened wide, my favorite smile plastered on his tanned face, and his deep set eyes sparkling with excitement. I shook my hand from Damon's and lunged myself into my best friend's arms, my own wrapping tightly around him as he lifted me from the ground, spinning me around, I buried my face against the crook of his neck, inhaling the familiar scent that was Jacob Black.

I could feel his chest vibrating beneath me as he laughed to himself. "Hey Bella."

"I've missed you so much!" I cried into his neck, tightening my arms around him. Jacob set me on the ground, I unwound my arms from his neck. "God, I can't believe... I didn't think I'd see you until tomorrow!"

"Well, I'm the driver for the evening." My Jacob smile widened. "And it's about a two hour drive."

If Damon hadn't cleared his throat, I would have entirely forgotten he was there, as bad as that sounded — I was just so happy to see Jacob after all this time of being away from Forks. "Oh, um, Jake." I was the one to clear my throat now, turning to face Charlie and Damon, or well, only Damon since Charlie was putting my bag into the trunk of Jacob's car. "Damon, this is—"

"You're Jacob, right?" Damon interrupted, I swallowed heavily at the unrecognizable tone in my boyfriend's voice. "Bella talks a lot about you."

"I assume you're Damon." Jacob spoke similar to the way Damon was talking. This wasn't going to end well by the time my visit in Forks was over.

"I am." Possessively, Damon wrapped an arm around my waist. Jacob opened the backdoor of the Rabbit, Damon and I slid into the seats, while Charlie settled into the passenger and Jacob was respectively in the drivers; it must feel good to him for sitting up front behind the wheel. But I could see from the expression on his face in the rear view mirror, that he was hoping I'd be sitting up front, while Charlie chatted with Damon in the backseat; I silently willed him an apology, even though I wasn't entirely sorry, as I rested my head on the elder Salvatore's shoulder, closing my eyes, a little more sleep wouldn't kill me; plus I would be up all night, which was a good advantage, since I've rarely seen Damon sleep since I've known him. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him, I nuzzled my cheek against his neck, draping my own arm across his stomach, clutching myself against him; we cuddled in the backseat of Jacob's car for the entire two hours, I drifted in and out of my sleep, dreaming of what could await on this trip.

The outcome, wasn't looking very good, as the images, the many, almost endless possibilities, flitted through my mind.

I clutched the leather texture of Damon's jacket in my fist, I felt my heart breaking inside of my chest, even though I knew they weren't real, they were only figments of my imagination as I slept. I hardly felt my boyfriend's arms tighten around me protectively, but I still felt his warmth, which was exactly what separated my discharged fantasy from reality, my heart pounding harshly inside of my chest. I tried to steady myself, my breathing caught in my throat once more, but everything running through my mind only got worse as time went on.

—

My eyes slowly fluttered open at the soft but gentle breeze that caressed the bare skin of my arms. Damon's arms were no longer wrapped around me, and I was no longer in the backseat of Jacob's car. It was too dark for me to take in my surroundings, but I knew that I was not inside Charlie's house. My hands dropped to my sides, something poked at my palms, and my eyes immediately narrowed. I smoothed my hand along the ground, and all I felt was tiny little pricks, but they didn't break skin, it was just an irritating feeling against my skin, I recognized it immediately the more I moved my hand around. _Grass_? Why was I touching grass, and what was I doing outside? I slapped my hands to my thighs, slowly rising to my feet, a small cracking noise sounding from the spaces behind my knees. I wrapped my arms around myself to try and keep myself warm as the breeze chilled, I swallowed heavily, looking around for some source of light, but all I saw was pitch black. I started walking straight, unsure of where I should go, and then abruptly, there was a blinding light, it illuminated the scenery, allowing me to see all around; it was a brilliant white that shone like a spotlight. I looked around, all I saw was trees that stretched on for miles, and I was standing bare foot on the matted earth. _How did I get here? _should have been the prioritized thought running through my mind, but instead it came up as, _where's Damon? _and I knew it was because I knew that if something was going to happen, Damon would protect me.

My spine stiffened when I heard a twig snap under what sounded like someone's boot. My first instinct was running as fast as I could, but I felt paralyzed, I was curious as to who was coming toward me. Would they be able to help me find out where I was, and how I could get home to Charlie and Damon? I took my bottom lip between my teeth and gnawed softly, where was Jacob when I needed him the most? My wolf could easily get me out of here, if my vampire boyfriend wasn't in reach. I knew both of them would come to my aid, but did they even know I was gone? I started walking faster, weaving my way through the woods, but the footsteps only got louder, which caused me to start sprinting, and I prayed that my clumsiness wouldn't break out at the most inconvenient time, when my life probably depended on my coordination and how fast I ran.

As if my luck would call it, my foot caught on a root that was sticking out of the ground, and I went face-first to the earth. I groaned and cursed under my breath, digging my nails at the ground so I could push myself up, but I froze when the footsteps sounded again, instead I ducked my head, hoping it would mask where I was stuck laying until the coast was clear. It fell silent, and I exhaled in relief, using my forearms to get myself off the ground, until I became nose-to-calf with someone wearing a pair of distressed black military boots that came just below the knee.

"We meet again." A familiar icy female voice said from above, I recognized the velvet charm and the sharp attitude instantly, even though I'd only heard her speak all of one time when I'd met her. Slowly, my gaze lifted, I could barely see the tight clothes that she wore, not that I cared about what she wearing, but I made out her smooth porcelain ivory skin, willowy figure, and flaming red eyes, but what allowed me to _really _recognize her was the wild brilliant red hair that tumbled down to the middle of her back in loose ringlets.

"Victoria." I gasped out, scrambling away and jolting to standing on my feet.

"Hello cupcake." Victoria smirked wickedly, "Miss me?" My mouth was open, but my mind couldn't register anything, I lost the ability to speak, and Victoria beat me to it. "I've been looking for you, Bella. I was surprised when I didn't see you anywhere with your precious Cullen family.. not that it was hard to take them on." I watched the contortion of her face, the way her lithe body moved as she spoke, slowly sauntering to close the gap I'd made between us. She clicked her tongue, tilting her head ever-so-slightly. "Are you ready?"

"R—Ready for what?" I finally found my voice, slowly taking steps back, to avoid the gap getting smaller.

"To die, of course." The fiery red haired cat-like woman spoke as if the answer should have been obvious; this made me think back to when I'd been confronted by Laurent in the meadow before I learned of Jacob's secret, and that he'd taken down Laurent without a struggle, with Sam, Paul, Jared, and Embry to assist him. Victoria intended on killing me slowly, and painfully, in seeking vengeance for Edward killing her mate, James, when he tried killing me in Phoenix, hours after I'd first met the nomadic vampires.

"Pl—Please don't." I gasped out, gritting my teeth as I found myself pressed against a tree. I sunk my body back for my dear life, in hopes that I would somehow disappear. God damn it, I would settle for anyone right now, to come and distract Victoria, even Edward, since we'd gotten into this mess because of our forbidden love what seemed like forever ago.

"Goodbye, Bella." She spoke slowly, her voice was tantalizing, and menacing.

I shut my eyes, I was prepared for death, as I'd had my share of near-death experiences; going through the real thing would be no different, right? But instead of feeling Victoria's teeth tearing into my skin, I heard a sharp, surprised gasp, and the sound of someone slamming into a tree. My eyes popped open, to find that Victoria was pinned to a tree, the person holding her there's back was to me, but I could easily make out the muscular figure and dark clothes that belonged to Damon Salvatore. I had never been more relieved in my life.

"D—Damon!" I exclaimed.

His head turned so he could look at me, "Run, Bella!" He yelled from behind his bared fangs, his vampire visage looked just as menacing as Victoria's voice had sounded only moments before he'd shown up, moments before I was prepared to die. But I didn't hesitate in taking off in the opposite direction, the courage I'd mustered now that I knew Damon was here. I pushed myself to go as fast I could, the burn aching in my muscles, I honestly thought I would drop to the ground and start convulsing, I had no clue how hard I'd run, but I didn't dare look back. For the first time since I'd reentered into the Supernatural world, I wished I was a vampire, that way I could help Damon, instead of running away, like I had wanted after our first encounter with the nomads, and long before. I would soon become winded if I didn't stop soon, but I didn't want to give the chance to Victoria of capturing me, because even though I shouldn't, I doubted that Damon stood against her. They both fed on animal blood, and I had absolutely no idea how old the vampiress was, based on my knowledge after learning the differences between the two vampires.

I stumbled into a tree, my hands pushed outward to prevent smacking my head into the bark. My breathing was heavy, I could hardly find the will to catch my breath. Closing my eyes, I rested my head gently on the tree, as I struggled to take deep breaths, biting my lip and praying that Damon was going to be okay, and that he could take on Victoria with no struggle. It made me think of Laurent once again, and then I thought about Jacob. It was a werewolf's job to kill vampires, but what could happen with a vampire taking on another vampire? How easy was it for one to kill their own kind? The last time I'd experienced that, I had venom coursing through my veins from James biting me, Edward debating whether or not to allow me to enter his world. My head immediately snapped up, my eyes flying open, when I heard someone ripping their way through the briers — I had no idea which way they were coming from, anything was possible with a vampire, and I prayed that it was Damon who was coming to see if Victoria had harmed me before he arrived.

"Are you alright? Did she hurt you?" Damon's frantic voice came up behind me, and I sighed with relief.

"No, she didn't hurt me. I'm fine." I tried to smile, but it would be forced. I felt absolutely drained, and my heart was revving inside of my chest. Damon placed a hand on my shoulder, but I didn't turn to face him; yes it was a huge relief that Damon was alive, that Victoria hadn't torn him to pieces, or driven a piece of wood through his heart, but I just couldn't bring myself to face him right now. I never wanted him to meet the alluring, seductive being that was Victoria, for fear of both our lives. There was so many possibilities that could happen by the end of the night. I had completely forgotten about her when I planned to come visit my father and Jacob in Forks, there was no trace of her in the back of my mind, she was wiped from my memory until now.

I had endangered not only my life, but Damon's, in more ways than some.

"Bella, please look at me." He pleaded. Swallowing hard, I nodded once and turned to face Damon. The veins were gone from pulsating against his orbitals, and his eyes had returned to the normal pale blue, this was a relief, not that I minded his vampire visage. Instantly, he pulled me to him, his arms constricting around my tiny body and crushing our bodies together. My arms wound around him as tightly as I'd held onto Jacob, burying my head against him — I hadn't realized tears were rolling down my cheeks until Damon pulled away to look at me, his thumb brushing away the droplets that trickled from the welled tears in my eyes.

"I—I'm so sor—sorry." I blurted.

Damon's eyes narrowed, "Why are you sorry, Bella? You didn't do anything wrong."

"The who—whole ... I didn't want you ... V—Victoria." I honestly had no idea where I was going, but I knew that I was sorry for introducing him to Victoria. He wouldn't understand, he probably saw nothing of this, as he's most likely dealt with stuff like this before he'd met me. After all, he was a vampire, and they always ran into a vampire at one point, or on a daily basis, given how there was several vampires liking in Forks and Mystic Falls.

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Bella." He insisted, his voice was so reassuring, so kind.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could utter a single word, I was sprayed with some kind of liquid, it all happened too quickly for me to see what had occurred; I screamed, as the warm liquid splattered on my face, without even knowing what I was hit with; my eyes fell shut instantly and my hands came up defensively, sharp gasps touching my lips. After a moments pass, I slowly opened my eyes, and I immediately regretted it. It was as if someone injected ice into my veins, and nailed my feet to the ground, as my eyes adjusted to the sight before me. My heart slowed in my chest to almost a complete stop, my throat tightening, the ability to make any noises was now gone, as I took in the sight of Damon Salvatore sprawled on the ground — beheaded. Hot tears streamed down my face, but my face never thawed from its frozen, stunned state. I heard a throaty, but exultant chuckle, and I immediately knew who it belonged to, I didn't even need to lift my gaze to know Victoria hadn't been taken care of, and that she did this to strike a nerve. However, she did capture my attention as her hand latched at my throat as she knocked me to the ground, taking away my air supply from the impact, I felt like I received a severe blow to the chest. Her head tipped back, and then lurched forward. I screamed as loud as I possibly could, crying out for help, I didn't care who helped me, as I tried prying Victoria away from my neck, but she held onto me with an iron grip that could crush my bones if she really put her mind to it.

Laurent was right, this was painful, I could feel the venom slipping into my veins. I tried remembering what Edward had told me about becoming a vampire, he said the pain was unbearable, and that it would feel like a fire was ripping its way through my body. . . I knew that partially from experience, from Victoria's late mate. Finally, Victoria threw herself from me, and my body slumped, I started panting, gasping, and letting out short cries, my body convulsing. _Not again_, I thought to myself as I struggled keeping my eyes open — I could feel the burning sensation, but this felt much quicker than it had the first time I had this happen to me, there was no slow ease like before, it wrapped itself around my veins, layering, my body was flaming, I considered the idea that Victoria had only set me on fire instead of turning me into a vampire. My vision was red pigmented, and blurry, I felt like I was on some kind of high, was I going to experience some kind of bad trip while in transition? Through my cloud of vision, my eyes found Damon's lifeless body, his head nowhere to be seen, just seeing him had brought a sharp pain to my heart, I was dying and turning into what I'd wanted most such a long time ago, and Damon was permanently dead; there would be joining him for eternity. My breathing slowed, and the cries stopped, or at least I think they did, I couldn't hear anything anymore, everything around me had silenced, as if someone pressed the mute button toward the television.

In a blurred line, I saw someone burst through the brier, and Victoria was on the ground within seconds. I could barely make out the figure above the redhead vampire, but I saw a russet shade, which only meant one thing: my wolf. My other protector. _My Jacob_. With my mouth open a sliver, I attempted calling out my best friend's name, but it came out as a weak, barely audible whisper, I wasn't even sure if I'd said his name, it could have been my last breath for all I knew. Two more creatures emerged from the briers, a black one and a chocolate brown one. Sam and Quill. Sam bared his teeth at Jacob, who immediately backed away and bowed at his Alpha, turning his massive body toward me, and phasing on the spot back to his human form, yanking on some random pair of clothing I don't know where he'd gotten from — but for all I knew, my mind was playing tricks on me, how could I be so sure as to what I was seeing in this state, as my body bucked wildly, no matter how hard I tried to push myself down, to keep myself together.

"Bella? Bella, can you hear me?" Jacob's voice sounded so distant, no matter how close he was to me. I was swept up into his arms.

"What the hell is going on here!" Another voice roared, a voice I knew so well, a voice I never thought I'd be happy to hear again.

"Bloodsucker bit her." Jacob snarled in the other voice's direction. "Is she turning?"

_YES! _I wanted to scream, but I couldn't form any words. Edward answered for me, though. I felt my body be exchanged in arms, my back resting against the ground again, I tried looking around, but everything was blurred together, it was like a melted oil painting, everything blended together. "Bella," Edward whispered. "I'm so sorry." I felt his glass-smooth lips at my neck, his teeth pressed over where Victoria had bitten me, I slowly slipped into a state of unconsciousness. The last thing that flitted through my mind, was the burned memory of Damon's dead body, the last words ringing through my ears, is Edward repeatedly telling me how sorry he was after his mouth left my neck.

—

When my eyes opened again, my vision was even blurrier than before. I groaned quietly, slowly sitting up, my hand flying to my forehead. Blinking a few times to adjust to my surroundings, I listened around me, it was utterly silent. I swallowed hard, afraid to face what may come. But when my eyes focused, I saw that I was in my bedroom, laying on my bed, and the lamp on my bedside table was the only source of light throughout my old bedroom. Charlie hadn't thrown anything away, or stored it somewhere; which meant he was hoping I'd change my mind about living in Mystic Falls, or he knew I'd want to come visit, either way I was thankful that I didn't have to sleep on the couch. I froze, remembering the chain of events, swinging my legs over the side of the bed, and scrambling to my feet, nearly falling — my coordination sure didn't change, even as a . . . _vampire_. Oh my god. _Charlie_. He isn't supposed to know about the Supernatural world, and I doubt I'll be able to control myself around him, now that I've been changed; I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hurt my father. My insides trembled as I slowly walked out of my bedroom; I heard no voices, not even Jacob or Edward. Where could they have gone? Did they need to take care of some things? Had Victoria escaped, somehow? So many thoughts flitted through my cluttered mind, as I remembered every detail of what happened in the woods.

I swallowed heavily as I shakily made my way down to the first floor of Charlie's house, my arms wrapped across my stomach; I felt like I was going to throw up. My body weighed me down, I thought I'd collapse. I wasn't supposed to feel this way, I was much stronger now. . . but I also felt emotionally drained, as my brain picked through my memory, unfortunately, painfully, settling on the images of the beheaded Damon. It tugged rapidly at my heart, and I felt the stinging behind my eyes; I no longer had my boyfrie—

"You're finally awake." He said as he stepped into the room, standing only a few feet away but it seemed like miles, his eyes sparkling and teeth showing as his signature lopsided smile stretched at his lips.I drank him in, every piece of me melting into a puddle as our eyes locked. My jaw dropped, even though I hadn't meant for it to, and I leaped at him, my arms wrapping tightly around him, burying my head against his chest. His hand stroked at my hair, tentatively. Tears rolled down my cheeks, I couldn't begin to express all the emotions that swirled. "Are you... okay?"

"Yes." I said through my teeth, squeezing myself tighter to him. "I'm perfectly _fine_."

"I think you've had way too much sleep." Damon said, half joking, half serious.

And then it hit me, rolling in delayed, but I was struck hard. _It was only a dream_. This made the tears come faster, hotter down my face. I hated that Damon had to witness seeing my crying, and I wish I could have waited until I was back in the confines of my bedroom. But I wouldn't have made it up there in time, without Damon chasing after me, demanding for me to tell him what was wrong. Either way, I'd be in this position. My heart sped up, acknowledging that not only was my boyfriend alive, but that meant I wasn't a danger to my father. And just like that, my happiness faded. If that was a dream, it meant something bad was bound to happen on my stay in Forks, involving Victoria; it may not include Edward and the wolves, but it did mean Victoria was coming, and that Damon could possibly end up dead.

I looked up at him, his wiping of my tears reminded me of what happened in the dream. Damon had been clearing my face of tears moments before he'd been beheaded by Victoria in my dream, this clenched my heart. I may not be a danger to my father, but I've definitely endangered Damon's immortal life, and he had no idea what could possibly be in store for him — this frightened me. But I couldn't bring myself to mention it to him, not tonight, not on our first night away from our Mystic Falls reality. This was a technical vacation for the both of us, and I wasn't going to ruin it. But I knew I'd have to tell him, I'd have to warn him, and alert the wolves down at La Push, just in case my dream was bound to come true.

Damon smiled warmly down at me, pressing his lips softly to mine. "I love you." He murmured.

"I love you too." I whispered back, grabbing Damon's hand and lacing our fingers intertwined, he pulled me closer, breaking our kiss, to press his lips against my forehead, the smile never leaving his face. I smiled back, hopefully he couldn't tell it was forced, as I discreetly swallowed heavily. Damon tugged at my hand, and then led me to the kitchen where Charlie and Jacob were talking; I tried not to meet my best werewolf friend's gaze.

Could he sense that something was wrong, whilst Damon, at this moment, could not?


	32. Unpleasantville in Forks

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
- Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Two**

The following morning, I walked downstairs to find Charlie, Damon, and Jacob sitting around the table in the kitchen.

The elder males were nonchalantly drinking black coffee while my werewolf shoveled overeasy eggs into his mouth. Had Charlie successfully cooked something without burning it? My attention drifted to the sink, where a black frying pan and two pale green plates had been piled. I cleared my throat softly, casually putting my hands on my hips, waiting for them to acknowledge me. No one turned, their faces shadowed and facing opposite of where I stood. I waited for someone to start talking, but it was an eerie silence, except for Jacob's fork scraping against the plate as he finished eating. My best friend slowly rose from his chair, gripping his plate in hand; it must be hard for him to be around Damon, but I know he's here for Charlie's sake - for his humanity and mortality status. And that's when I caught a glimpse of Jacob; as usual he was shirtless, I guess Charlie got used to it with him being around all the time, but shockingly, what looked to be bite marks were scattered along his upper torso and shoulders, and a tear close to where his heart would be. I tried not to stare at the gauging bite that had been torn from Jacob's unhealed neck. What the hell happened to my werewolf, and why hadn't he healed right away? My eyes flickered to Charlie and Damon; suddenly I felt like I was standing there in the third person's point of view, like I was standing here. Bite marks covered Charlie's skin - every inch. Then there was Damon, whose fangs were elongated, gleaming in triumph, dipped in blood; there was blood on his mouth and some blood was trickling from the crease of his stained lips. I gasped aloud, even though I didn't mean to; how could Damon do this to me? Feeding on my family? I thought I was able to trust him. . . But the realization hit me hard with the force of a MAC Truck: _Damon_ was the danger, not Victoria. Had Damon somehow gotten inside of my head, tampering with my dreams? I stared longingly at my boyfriend, studying him intently, wondering what could have triggered him to do this to Charlie and Jacob - to me. . .

Slowly, Damon's menacing gaze met mine, penetrating through the depths of my every being, and a sheepish grin molded itself against his mouth. He was swift to be on his feet and in front of me, a lone finger caressing the side of my face adorningly. I shivered, swatting his hand away, my eyes locked on the blood dripping from his lips and down his chin, onto his black shirt. Abruptly, an ear-splitting, blood curdling scream pierced through the room. Shocked and scared, I went to look to see where it had come from, when I registered that it had been me who screamed, from Damon's sharp teeth piercing my creamy pale skin. I started pushing at his face with all my might, desperate to pry him away, hot tears pouring down my face. But I could feel myself growing weaker, black spots began tarnishing my vision. My breathing was slow and uneven. My legs immediately gave out, buckling beneath me, as if my limbs has been squished and disinigrated into jelly, I lost my ability to breathe, almost like my wind pipe had been crushed and my lungs collapsed into a pile of ash.

Damon's body dropped with mine, his teeth never leaving my flesh, until I was thoughtfully laid down. I could barely make out Damon's figure as he hovered above me; the growling from behind his fangs was distant in my ears. I could feel myself slipping away, losing consciousness, no matter how hard I tried to push the weight off my chest, and tunnel my way out of the darkness that threatened to consume. I wasn't able to fight the closing of my eyes, there was no energy for me to put up a struggle, Damon had taken too much from me. My thoughts were slowly processed as I began wondering if this was something Damon conjured up from the beginning, but nothing made sense... There was no motive. I swallowed my seemingly last breath as I gave in to the darkness, but just before I lost myself, I heard not one but two angelic yet menacing voices in my ear: "_You're mine_."

—

I was bewildered at the suddenness of my eyes opening, my heart was slow inside of my chest. Swallowing heavily, I sat up cautiously, taking in my surroundings: I somehow ended up back in my bedroom. I lifted my hand to my neck, tracing my fingers gingerly along the soft skin, I was confused as to why I couldn't feel the imprint on my neck from Damon. Had he fed me his blood in my lost moments without my acknowledgement? It was the only possibility. Lifting my hand, it startled me to find the back of my hand knocking against something that didn't feel like a pillow. I let my gaze drop and my chest immediately tightened. "Damon," I whispered in shock. I could hardly move as I studied the man beside me; he looked so peaceful and serene, as if he hadn't made a meal out of me only . . . how long had passed? Ten seconds? Five minutes? An hour? Three days? I leaned in a little closely, there was no sign of blood on his mouth. But he was shirtless, so I couldn't tell if there was any on his shirt, he must have thrown it in the wash sometime after everything happened. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my legs buckling, I felt weak-kneed, like every time I really got a good look at Damon. I grabbed onto the bedside table, taking a deep breath, looking over my shoulder — Damon hadn't moved, he still slept on his back, his head tilted opposite me, toward the window. One arm was by his head, while the other was resting at his side. Snoring softly, my murderous boyfriend was oblivious to the world. I quickly knelt down to my bag, sitting on the floor as I kicked off my jeans from the day before that I never changed out of, slowly pealing on a pair of sheer black tights, pulling my t-shirt over my head and yanking on a black-and-gray striped v-neck curve-hugging shirt dress with quarter sleeves that came down to just a few inches above my knees, cinching a black chunky belt under my small breasts. I slipped on a fresh pair of white socks, then got to my feet, untucking my brush from the pocket of my suitcase, fiercely brushing it through my hair to get all the snarls out until it was flat and smooth, before dropping it back into my bag, exiting the room without closing the door; I didn't want to wake Damon from his slumber.

I gingerly made my way downstairs, I could spot through the window that the police cruiser wasn't in the driveway. But I was shocked to find my old Chevy Pickup sitting in its usual place; I wonder when it'd been dropped off, and by whom. I stepped into the worn black military-style boots that were by the front door, Charlie never took the liberty to move them up to my room before leaving for work, I'm guessing. I laced them up, grabbed my keys that were hanging on the hook, and walked out of the house, constantly rubbing at my neck, wondering what had happened to the bite mark, but I was more concerned as to whether or not Jacob was okay, and Charlie. How did Damon cover his tracks? I wasn't used to a skilled human blood-drinking vampire like Damon, I was accustomed to the vegetarian lives of my two Cullen's back in Virginia. I yanked open my car and climbed into the front seat, jamming the keys into the igntion. I listened to the familiar growling of my ancient Chevy, and I smiled to myself — suddenly, I felt comfortable, like I was where I belonged. I missed my car, dearly. I didn't have the money for a car back in Mystic Falls, so I couldn't buy myself another car, and my car would not make it across the country in its condition, it would probably wheeze its last wheeze not even halfway into the journey, with my luck. Continuing to smile, I gripped the steering wheel, gearing my truck into reverse and backing out of the small driveway, off the property. I still knew the roads of Forks like the back of my hand, I knew when to turn, I knew when to slow, I remembered when to accelerate and when I needed to sharply turn, in hopes that my car didn't decide to give out on me at the last moment.

My eyes roamed as I drove down the familiar streets, I felt like I was heading back to the high school, in the direction that I was going. Maybe I could stop in and say hello to the senior class of Forks, say hello to my old teachers, and spend lunch with Angela and Mike. It would be nice to see my old friends again. I turned my steering wheel quickly, blinker indicating I'm turning right, as I eased my car into the parking lot of Forks High School, my smile wider than I'd ever felt it grow on my face. I rounded into the visitor's parking; it felt odd not to park my Chevy in my old spot, but I was no longer a student here, I couldn't be with the other teenagers who'd gotten the priviledge of getting their license in their junior year, and the lucky ones of being sophomores. I turned off my car, gearing in park, and climbing out of my Chevy, jamming the keys under the drivers seat — I didn't realize until _now_ that I'd forgotten to wear a jacket out of the house. But after living in Mystic Falls for so long, I didn't really recognize the weather changes, I adapted much more quickly than when I came from Phoenix. Plus, the weather was surprisingly warm here. This was a good sign, just like when I'd been leaving.

The disgustingly familiar smell of erasers, Lemon Pledge, chalk, cheap perfumes and body spray, and sweat enveloped me as I stepped through the front doors of Forks High School, I shivered immediately. All schools smelled the same, but Forks just had it ten times worse than Mystic Falls High School. I walked down the familiar halls toward the Main Office after receiving my visitors pass and a "It's so good to see you back here, Bella!" from the woman at the front desk in the lobby, flashing back to my first day attending this school, and I tried not to smile; there were so many memories, good and bad, but I was glad that I'd left them all behind for a fresh start. I knocked once then stepped inside, smiling at the woman I'd spoken to.

"it's a surprise to see you here again, Bella." The friendly woman said from behind the desk.

"I never thought I'd be back here," I admitted truthfully, "But I thought I'd just stop in here before going to see my old teachers."

"I hope you are enjoying Virginia." She said, and that made me wonder how she knew what state I'd moved to, but then I remembered that they carry all records, thinking back to when Victoria needed to get my old address in Phoenix when James was tracking me down, and ended up tricking me into thinking that he'd been holding my mother hostage, just to get me to come to him.

"I am; I'll stop in again before I leave." I promised, slowly turning on my heel. She lifted a hand and waved goodbye as I exited the Main Office, trying to remember what classes I had while attending Forks High School. The bell for second period rang, and suddenly, I was in a sea of students, I swiftly weaved my way through the crowd, peering over the heads of people as much as I possibly could so I could get a better look at the room numbers, also trying to catch a glimpse of my friends that I'd left behind.

I had English second period, with Mr. Berty, if I remember correctly. I strolled into the classroom after the second bell rang, clearing my throat softly. My old English teacher was sitting at his desk, while everyone took an exam on whatever they were currently learning in his class. I walked toward the desk, politely holding my hands behind my back, waiting for Mr. Berty to acknowledge my existance. It took him a moment, before lifting his eyes to see that I was standing here.

"Ah, Ms. Swan." Mr. Berty wheezed. "What a pleasant surprise to see you."

I saw from the corner of my eye that everyone stopped what they were doing, and looked up to see that I, indeed, was standing in the classroom, talking to Mr. Berty. I smiled a little, "I was in town visiting my Dad and thought I'd stop by to see how my old teachers were doing."

"Never thought I'd see your face around here, Ms. Swan." He said, and I tried not to laugh, since that's pretty much exactly what the woman in the Main Office said.

"I didn't expect to come back." I replied.

"Are you liking your new school?" Mr. Berty asked.

"Yeah, it's a really intriguing school. A lot of stuff goes on that is. . . pretty unbelievable." I cleared my throat. "I better be going, I'll see you around, Mr. Berty."

"Goodbye, Bella." He called after me as I walked out of the class, "take care." I was stunned, Mr. Berty wasn't being so crotchity, and he was being pleasant. Probably because I was no longer a student of his.

—

I found myself feeling ecstatic by the time fifth period rolled around; I had been lounging around in the court yard third and fourth period after saying hello to all of my old teachers, and I found it hilarious how all of their reactions were the same as to seeing me standing in their classroom after being gone since school started up again, and it was now almost the end of May. My insides tingled at the reminder, I was becoming a high school graduate in about a month. I pushed open the frosted glass doors that allowed me to step inside the vast cafeteria, my memory flickering to when I first noticed Edward Cullen walking in, but those thoughts were quickly chased away at the sight of Jessica Stanley, Mike Newton, Eric Yorkie, Tyler Crowley, and Angela Weber crowding around the table they'd sat in on my first day of school. I casually sauntered toward them, my eyes trained on them as I traveled across the cafeteria toward them. I tried not to break my focus as I saw people stopping what they were doing at the sight of my return; and from the way they all looked at me throughout this entire day, they could tell there might be something different about me. And there definitely _was_. I stood at the end of my former table, my arms crossed over my chest, I cleared my throat softly. Mike was the first one to look up, a bright smile illuminating his face, as he took me in, and from the look in his eyes, he liked what he saw: his crush was making a comeback just from one stare.

"Bella!" Mike boomed. I smiled, and blushed, as Mike leaped to his feet, rounding the table and throwing his arms around me tightly. "It's so good to see you!"

Immediately, Angela and Eric looked up. I admired the sight of them holding hands, I was proud that they could make it this far in their relationship, being together for so long. Angela rose to her feet next, joining Mike in hugging me, then Eric. Jessica was the last to acknowledge my existance, and from the scowl that discreetly crept onto her face, she didn't like that I was back in town. Could she possibly be thinking that I was here to stay? Well, she thought wrong. Did she think I came back for Edward? She couldn't have been more stupid, more wrong, in her life. I waited until they were done hugging me, to lift my hand and waggle my fingers in Jessica's direction, while everyone took their seats, I watched as they made room for to sit with them; I took a seat beside Mike, crossing one leg over the other.

"What brings you back to Forks?" Angela asked.

"I'm visiting my Dad and Jacob Black." I replied, glad that I could finally throw Jacob's name in there — if I said his name to my teachers, they'd have absolutely no idea who I was talking about. But my friends knew him from when I was in my depression from Edward's absence before everything happened, which got me wondering as to whether or not if _they_ knew what happened between me and Edward.

"it's good to see you again, Bella." Eric chimed.

"I'm so glad that I can see everyone again." I said earnestly. "Before I leave, I want you all to meet someone."

"Who?" They chorused, except for Jessica, who pretended to be occupied by the salad on the tray in front of her.

I waited until Jessica had the decency to look up at me, smirking, I said, "my boyfriend." With that, I took out my phone, showing a picture I'd taken of him, Stefan, and Elena before Damon and I had gotten on the plane to come to Forks. "He's the one with the dark hair. The girl is my cousin Elena, and the guy who has his arm around her, is her boyfriend, Stefan. He's my boyfriend's younger brother."

"He is so not your boyfriend." Jessica scoffed, rolling her eyes. I growled — normally, that comment wouldn't have pissed me off. Because, not too long ago, I found it physically impossible to be able to call Damon Salvatore my boyfriend, but now, I wanted to grab Jessica by the hair and drag her across the cafeteria. But even though I wasn't a student here, I could get into major trouble, especially since I am eighteen years old.

Instead, I just leveled my gaze at Jessica, cocking an eyebrow. "Why do you say that? After all, I did date Edward Cullen."

She exhaled heavily through her nose, her nostrils flared unattractively. "But he cheated on you, didn't he? Of course he did. You're nothing special, Bella." My eyes widened; Jessica had completely taken me off gaurd. A round of gasps collected around our table, as I stared at Jessica in disbelief. I know that this is a small town and there are hardly any secrets, but this was low for Jessica, but also answered my question on if they knew why I'd left town. "And you left, like a pansy, instead of facing and owning up to Edward about it. . . _Not that I blame him for doing it_."

That did it.

My chair screeched against the floor as I stood up, my palms slamming against the table as I hunched forward, staring into Jessica's blue eyes. "What the _fuck _is your problem with me, Jessica? Why must you bring up old things that I've _moved on _from? I came here to catch up with my _friends_, not take a stroll down memory fucking lane with a conceited, insecure narcassistic _bitch_." I was surprised at the words that vomited from my mouth, and I didn't realize how loudly I was talking, until I saw just about **everyone **staring at me. Including Mike, and Jessica, who's jaw had dropped in her own disbelief that I'd had the balls to speak up to her the way that I had.

"I—"

"Don't wanna hear what you have to say." I interrupted rudely, marching away from the table, storming out of the cafeteria before another word could be uttered.

My heart revved excitedly inside of my chest, I felt like my pulse had been spiked with adrenaline as I quickly walked into the parking lot, yanking open the door and hopping into my Chevy, slamming the door, reaching under my seat and grabbing my keys. I jammed them into the ignition, gearing my car into reverse, but I stopped myself as I noticed someone walking in my direction. I froze. I couldn't move, as my eyes zoned in on who was approaching my truck, a look of concern crossing his God-like, snow pale face. He tapped on the window, it sounded like the screeching my chair had made in the cafeteria, to my ears. He was a face that I didn't want to see, but at the same time, I _was_ hoping I'd run into him sometime during my stay in Forks. Reluctant, I rolled down the window.

"What was that about?" His voice was barely above a murmur, soft and velvety.

"I — Jessica just pissed me off." I sighed heavily, slumping in my seat, my hand gripping on the gear shift.

"I can tell." He chuckled softly under his breath. "So you're here with your boyfriend, huh? Is it the Damon guy I said to stay away from?" His golden eyes flickered with curiosity, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes as he said, "You are so stubborn, you can't even listen to my warning." I had forgotten that he was able to hear conversations, _and read minds_, at incredible distances.

"You said it won't matter much to me, and it really didn't, and it was _my _choice about staying away from him or not." I said factually; but he was right about not trusting Damon, at first, the way he had talked to me at the Lockwood's Masquerade party — it seemed like forever ago. He let out another soft chuckle, but to me, it sounded like a sigh. It made me want to leave, now. But Edward looked like there was something else he wanted to say.

"I bet Charlie's really glad you're back." He said softly.

I nodded, "He is _loving _Damon." I tried not to smirk as I rubbed that in his face, knowing that my father wasn't Edward's biggest fan, and he probably never was. But there was no expression evident on my ex's face, so I tilted my head a little, gearing my truck into reverse again. Slowly, the Chevy jerked back, "Thanks for returning my truck back to Charlie's, by the way." I said softly.

"I'm not _that _heartless, to let it rot in my driveway, or push it off a cliff." Edward said as he watched me starting to back out of my parking spot. I didn't reply, I bit my tongue as I desperately wanted to say, _but you're heartless enough to sleep with Rosalie, thus cheating on me_, but I kindly held back, turning the steering wheel quickly and gearing my car into drive, racing out of the parking lot. I realize now, that it was a mistake for coming back to Forks High School. I should have stayed at Charlie's, or gone to see Jacob, see if he was doing alright, in hopes that Damon hadn't torn him too bad that he wasn't able to heal properly, except Jacob might be in school, or running patrol for Sam, which meant I'd have to go back to my old house, and face my boyfriend._  
_

—

I slowly turned up into Charlie's driveway, and parked in my usual spot, taking the keys from the ignition after turning my truck off, and hopping out from the Chevy; I closed the door carefully, and walked up the steps, inside the house, hanging my keys on the little hook that Charlie had tacked up for when I'd arrived in Forks. Slowly, I made my way up the stairs, listening for any sign of Damon, but the house was eerily silent. I stepped into my room, sort of relieved that I didn't find Damon sprawled on my bed, or a cluster of bodies buried under my bed or piled under my windowsill — Oh my God, did I really think that badly of my boyfriend now? My heart squeezed inside of my chest, and my stomach flip-flopped, as I suddenly felt terrible for thinking this way about Damon.

"I was wondering where you ran off to." A chilled, deep and husky voice said from behind. I was so startled that I jumped, shivering, as my breath caught in my throat. I wasn't ready to confront Damon, I wasn't ready to see him, not after my little out burst to Jessica. I turned on my heel to face him, my gaze meeting his. I could hardly look into the humble serenity that lived in his pale blue eyes; how could he act like nothing happened this morning? It killed me inside, knowing what I saw, and what I'd felt happen to me. . . but at the same time, none of it made sense. I didn't feel any different than I had when I'd gone to bed last night. I didn't have a craving for blood like any normal vampire would, and the only time my emotions changed, or felt heightened, was when Jessica pissed me off.

"I went to see my old friends." I said, I could still feel the pounding of my heart, and I silently willed it to stop. It felt like my heart would jump out of my chest. But that could also be from how close Damon and I were standing. No matter how scared I felt, I wasn't going to let him know that I was scared. . . It was wrong of me to be scared of my own boyfriend.

"Aw," Damon pouted playfully. "And you didn't bring me along?"

"No, sorry." I stifled a giggle as I draped my arms around my boyfriend's neck.

"I missed you." He murmured as he pressed his lips softly against mine. I swallowed heavily as I let myself kiss him back softly, and he immediately noticed my hesitation. Damon pulled back, looking down at me, his eyes boring into mine. "What's wrong, Bella?"

"I—" How could I possibly tell him that I knew he was trying to cover up the fact that he'd harmed Jacob, Charlie, and I? But there were no secrets between Damon and I, so I had to just come right out with it. In a single breath, I told Damon what happened, stumbling back, and gasping for air, my eyes wide, as I searched his face for any sign that he would be just as equal about coming out to me. Damon stared at me, bewildered.

"Bella, none ... none of that _happened_." He said softly, I could hear the sincerity in his voice, and I immediately knew that he was telling the truth, and that caused a huge fucking wave of relief to wash over me. "You had another bad dream." I listened as Damon's voice dropped, I knew that he hated when these kind of dreams happened, and for some reason, they were happening a lot lately. His arms wrapped around me, constricting tightly along my petite, small body, and crushing his lips heavily to mine.

"I love you." I whispered against his lips.

"I love you too." He answered, pulling away and resting his forehead against mine.

I smiled up at him, he pressed his lips softly to my forehead, I could feel the smile on his lips. "I am so happy you're here with me, Damon."

"Between you and me, I can't wait to be back in Mystic Falls." He chuckled gently, I was lifted from the ground, and I locked my legs around Damon's waist; he carried me to my bed, laying me down with his body hovering over mine. I giggled at the strands of hair that fell in front of his eyes, some skimming the tip of my nose as he lowered his face toward mine, his cool, minty breath tickling my skin, I shivered, and bit softly down on my bottom lip.

"I can't wait either." I finally said, my voice soft, barely above a whisper.

"When does Charlie get home?" Damon wondered.

"Not until later tonight." I don't bother fighting the smirk creeping onto my face.

Damon smirked back at me, his lips hungrily finding mine, my fingers threading through his hair, pulling his head closer to me, as I kissed back with the same desperate intensity. It felt like it had been forever since I'd felt Damon's touch, and my skin warmed at his hand slipping under my shirt dress after removing the chunky belt, throwing it to the floor, his hand palmed at my breast, teasing my nipples through the thin fabric of my bra. I let a soft moan breathe into his mouth, my hips bucking against his; my panties were getting damp already, and I could easily recognize when Damon sensed my arousal, from the way his other hand torn my tights down my legs, and off my body. I fumbled with his belt, discarding it, and yanking his pants down so I could free his hardening cock from the silky prison. I pulled my shirt over my head and helped Damon take his off, throwing the last articles of clothing to the floor, my hands gripping at his back, he pulled our bodies tightly together.

"I love you, so much." He whispered as I moved his boxers, I felt the pleasing intrusion of his cock slipping passed my folds, pushing deep inside of me; my legs tightening around his waist. I moaned in response, unable to form a sentence, as my thoughts became clouded with bliss. He knew that I loved him, and he knew just as well that I was not able to talk at the moment, I was going under into a pleasure-induced world of my own, that only involved Damon, where words are not needed to be exchanged.

I was, indeed, crazy, for thinking that Damon would really hurt me, and the people I cared about most. I should have known it was another bad dream of mine. But right now, nothing else mattered to me, except for Damon — I wasn't going to ruin this; I would worry about all the bad, when I was done spending my alone time with my boyfriend, in the best way imaginable, listening to all his sounds and my own, filling the room, our bodies colliding in syncronization, fitting perfectly together as if made for each other.

Worry was for tomorrow, and the day after that. . . or maybe just when we returned to Mystic Falls in seven days.

* * *

Author's Note:

Hello, my wonderful readers and followers. We've come a long way with this story, and I love that you've stuck by me since the beginning. But, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. We will be saying goodbye once and for all, when this story comes close to maybe forty or forty five chapters; and that time will come sooner than we all think, because I have a lot of ideas for the rest of the chapters, and I can update more frequently now that school is over, but I also have a job now. I love every single one of you, but this is not my goodbye, this is just a little reminder that this story can not go on forever. Starting next chapter, they are back in Mystic Falls, and things aren't going to be exactly pleasant now that the MF Gang know that Klaus is coming for them, and Elena's life is at a dangerous stake.

I'll try to add another chapter by the time I fall asleep tonight.

Once again, I love you all. I will keep you updated on this story, and I even have come up with the idea of pressing the "New Story" button once this one is complete, making a short multi-chap story of life after Enjoy The Silence is over. What do you guys think? Feed me your ideas in a PM or one of your reviews. By the way, I made some changes to the early chapters of this story, check them out, if you want. You don't have to, I was just letting you all know: there is change in description in Chapter One's author note.

XOXO.


	33. Gotta Go My Way

**Author's Note**: Everything after the dash is no longer in present time until the end of the chapter; you will know when it goes back. The flashbacks that are occurring in this chapter, however, happened in the same day, and are the day before leaving Forks. Just so you're not confused while you're reading. Thank you and enjoy.

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
— Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Three**

My thoughts reeled over the past seven days events, carefully sifting through the memories, the blissful ones and even the painful ones. I swallowed heavily, staring out the window of the airplane as it careened off the runway and into the darkening sky of Washington, fidgeting nervously with the hem of the striped shirt that I wore under my blazer jacket, and closing my eyes as I slouched in the buttery leather seat.

Burned into the back of my mind, was the pained expression Emmett was wearing when I finally grew the lady balls to visit the Cullen family, once with Damon and once without, before my days in Forks were up, along with the emptiness that filled me, and the house. Their tight-knit coven/family had _fallen apart_, which made much more sense as to why Jasper and Alice continued living in Mystic Falls with me. I processed my abruptness at the school, I was pretty fucking proud of myself — that wasn't something I would have done, if I'd stayed in Forks, continuing to be with Edward; I'd broken out of my prison, shed my shell of shyness: Thank God. I got to hang out with Angela, sleeping over her house the weekend, while Damon did his own thing in Port Angeles; I prayed the body count didn't rise. But what really stuck with me, was the way Jacob had told me that Victoria indeed was still around, making swift appearances, and the Cullen's also informed me that there was some kind of uprising down in Seattle, "a state of terror" with all the murders that are occurring; Carlisle believes that it's _newborn_ vampires. Once eavesdropping, I overheard Esme saying that they possibly needed Alice and Jasper to come home, so she could stop worrying, and there was more protection for the town — when I'd told that to Jacob, he snorted, reminding me that it was the _werewolves' _duty to protect the town and not the vampires.

—

I walked up the polished wood steps that brought me to the front door of the Cullen's house; each flickering memory that passed through my brain reminded me of the night that I found Edward and Rosalie together. It churned my stomach uneasily. Holding my breath, I rapped my fist lightly against the front door, frightened of what I might find once I'm inside the grand home that belonged to my second favorite vampires. The door creaked open after a few seconds, revealing Carlisle standing in the doorway, I mustered a smile, trying not to longingly stare at the doctor's black eyes and the heavy purple bruise-like shadows that popped against his ever-pale skin. I couldn't help but wonder when the last time he'd gone hunting was. His shirt was wrinkled, instead of its usually being pressed flat against his body, and his face looked thinner than I remembered it to be. But Carlisle Cullen still smiled warmly at me, as if nothing had happened, as if I were still destined to be a part of their coven come the day I turn into a vampire . . . I love Carlisle dearly, but, I don't think that it's going to be happening, any of it.

"Hello Bella," Carlisle's voice cracked gently.

"Can I come in?" I asked weakly, watching as Carlisle gave a soft nod, and stepped aside for me to enter the home. I looked around, placing one foot in front of the other, making my way through, searching for another sign of vampire life. But it was silent — this wasn't something that I was used to.

"Is that Bella?" I heard the soft, musical voice that belonged to Esme float into the room, and seconds later, the mother vampire eased her way in gracefully, wrapping her thin arms around me, and pulling me into comforting, loving embrace. Immediately, I returned the hug; I had missed Esme terribly, I didn't really get to say a proper goodbye when Esme had flown down to Mystic Falls to help Alice with our house. "It's so good to see you!"

"Hi Esme." I smiled as I hugged her tighter, and asked, "How is everything?" when I pulled away.

"Things are… extremely different now." She said; I could see it in Esme's eyes that she felt empty inside with Alice and Jasper no longer living in the house, let alone the town. But from the silence that filled the house, there was a lot more than the eye could see, and that made me feel uneasy. "Are you hungry?"

"Um, I could use a snack." I mustered, anxiously looking around the house as far as I could see, wondering where Rosalie, Edward, and Emmett were, and what had happened after I left Forks; Alice hadn't said anything in the entire time I've been gone.

"I'll get it for you." Esme disappeared into the kitchen, Carlisle walked into his study, and I headed into the living room, perching myself on the edge of the creamy white couch, crossing one leg over the other. Nothing looked different in the house, everything was exactly the same — except for the lacking vampires that were nowhere in sight. Esme returned with a small bowl of celery with dipping ranch dressing, I fought the smile that threatened to show.

"Thank you, Esme." I took the bowl from her, and picked up a celery stick, dipping it into the dressing and biting the end, chewing slowly. Esme smiled at me, lowered herself down to my level to hug me tightly, before disappearing somewhere else in the house, I watched as she flit upstairs, her feet soundless against the polished wood. I relaxed against the cushion of the couch, eating my celery sticks, listening to the surprising sound of the crackling fire in the far fireplace — the Cullen's never used it, this was something new to me. But it was comforting, it reminded me of the Salvatore's, which made me think of Damon, and how I needed to text him when I was done visiting the Cullen's — should I introduce my boyfriend to those who I once, and still do, consider family? Might they know something of what went down between him and Edward, if something did happen in the past?

My inner thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone stomping down the winding staircase, far too rough to be Esme's delicate footwork. My eyes flickered to the stairwell, where I spotted the burly figure that had come down for one reason or another. At first, he didn't notice me, but I definitely took in all of him: He had the same coal eyes as Carlisle and the shadows beneath his eyes, but he still had the boyishly charming, cherubic face. He looked more muscular than I remembered him to be, his gray V-neck sweater clung to him, his abs seeping through the fabric, and he had the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. Had he always been so . . . _big_? My heart became erratic in my chest, as I began worrying, wondering how they'd all coped with what happened between Edward and Rosalie. Did they break up? Did Emmett forgive her? Did someone move out of the house? So many thoughts flit through my brain, I didn't know which answers that I wanted first, or if I wanted any at all. It was no longer my business, was it?

I cleared my throat softly, and whispered his name, knowing that he could hear me with his enhanced senses. He could hear my voice, my heart beat, and the strong, delicious pumping of my blood, a mile away. He stopped abruptly and turned to face me, I was surprised to see a wide smile stretched on his face. "Bella!" There was a flicker of light in his black eyes; he really was excited to see my return, just as everyone else has, so far, except for Jessica. I stood from the couch and strode toward him, instantly I was lifted off the ground, being spun around. I clung to him tightly, not because I was afraid that I was going to be dropped, because I knew that I wasn't, but because I was so excited to see him. I could imagine the agony that everyone had been feeling due to the betrayal by their own family members, doing what they had done.

"I missed you." I said as I was put back on my feet, he smoothed my hair down, and I laughed. He laughed with me; my heart swelled inside of my chest, I thought I would burst. He didn't say a word, as we both took a seat on the couch, I placed my hands in my lap, I trained my eyes on him. "So how've you been?"

Emmett's eyes narrowed as he gave me the _did you seriously just as me that? _look. I swallowed heavily, watching as Emmett practically turned to stone, was he thinking about Rosalie? "A lot's changed since you left, Bella."

"I know." I whispered. "A lot has changed for me."

"Like that boyfriend of yours?" Emmett teased; I loved the playfulness of his voice, how quickly it changed from being so serious. I smiled fondly at the memory of bringing Damon over to meet the Cullen family, even though only Esme had been home that day, which led to my promising of stopping by again, with or without Damon. "Esme talks." He winked playfully, and then said, Edward talks about you guys a lot," under his breath.

My eyes widened. "You still talk to Edward?"

"Of course I do." Emmett almost seemed offended that I would think _otherwise_.

"Um, Emmett. Can I ask you something?" I dropped my voice to a whisper, and looked over at the fireplace, not wanting our eyes to meet, not wanting to even look at him while I spoke. I was afraid how he might react, as Emmett replied a small, _anything_. "When, um, when did you… find out… about Edward and R—Rosalie?"

From the corner of my eye, I could see that Emmett's expression hardened. "Believe it or not, I found out _weeks_ after you left."

I gasped aloud, forcing myself to look at him. "_Weeks_?" I repeated, astonished.

"Yeah." Slowly, solemnly, Emmett nodded. "I think it was the day before Edward went to go see Alice, and you."

My jaw dropped. _What_? "You … please tell me you're joking, Emmett."

"No." He shook his head. "None of us knew _a thing_ until Edward came out and said they'd been sleeping together for quite _a while_…"

"Oh my god." I suddenly felt short of breath. I couldn't hear or feel my heartbeat, my pulse was slow, but my brain was quick on registering that this wasn't a _onetime thing_ between the adopted siblings. They had been going at it like crazy before I'd stumbled upon them, my last night in Forks. My God, how could Edward have been so . . . I didn't even have a proper word to call him; but I knew that Edward Cullen was selfish, manipulative, and was never as innocent as I put him to be. I bit my lip, harder than I anticipated, trying to prevent myself from crying. Slowly, my thoughts crept to the time I'd caught Damon and Rose in the living room, snuggling by the fireplace. I had that same crushed feeling that I do now. And Damon wasn't even technically mine at the time.

"Bella, it is okay to cry…" Emmett murmured. I knew that he was right, but at the same time, he was also wrong. I didn't want to cry, I was angry at Edward for doing this to me, to making me believe that he truly loved me, when all he was doing was fucking Rosalie behind mine and Emmett's back. But that didn't stop the tears from welling in my eyes, I looked up at him and through my blurring vision, I could just barely make out the hard planes of his cherubic face, the glassy layering in his black eyes that made them shine like stone in the sunlight. His lips were mashed together into a tight line, as if he were struggling to fight the battle of emotions that were building up inside of him from talking about it. The pain was evident on Emmett's face, especially in his stony, onyx eyes. I threw my arms around the teddy bear I'd once thought of as an older brother, and still can, hugging him tightly. I wanted to console Emmett all day, comfort us both. We both lost the people we thought we loved, but only one of us had found it in their heart to move on, and put their faith into someone new.

—

When I returned home from the Cullen house, Charlie's police cruiser was patiently waiting in the driveway. He had taken the day off to spend the rest of the evening with Damon and I, after I returned from my visit, due to it being our final day in Washington until the next time I decided to see Jacob and my father. I hopped out of my Chevy, creaking the door closed, holding my breath as I made my way up and into the house, expecting to find Damon and Charlie yelling at the television for some odd reason, that was the expectation any teenage girl had when their father that liked the boyfriend, was alone with said boyfriend. Instead, the strong smell of cayenne peppers and the sizzling of chicken enveloped me, when I walked through the front door. I hooked my keys up, stepping out of my shoes, and walked into the kitchen, taking in the sight of Damon at the counter, cutting something up, his back facing me, he looked at peace, humble, and comforted. I leaned against the doorway, crossing my arms over my chest, taking on the familiar Damon stance of whenever he sneaks up on me, or just happens to show up at the most random times.

"How was the Cullen's?" Damon asked, genuinely curious.

"Had a moment with Emmett." I mumbled.

"That's the one who was married to the blonde that your ex fucked, right?" I hated the sound of Damon's voice, and it tugged at my heart, a pained expression crossing _my _face from the way that he nonchalantly threw his words at me without a care. I wanted to punch him in the face, but as my small hands curled into tight fists, I tightened my arms over my chest.

"Yes, Damon." I said through my teeth.

"Ah, what happened with him?" Damon's back was still facing me.

"He told me that—"

"Something smells good in here, what'cha cooking, Damon?" My father squeezed his way into the kitchen, rubbing thoughtfully at the stomach that did not exist, as if it was protruding like a pregnant woman's. I prayed that my eyes weren't as glassy as when I'd left the Cullen's, and that the redness and the swelling of my eyes went down so he didn't know that I had been crying.

"Chicken and stir-fry." Damon replied with a light tone to his voice.

"Mouth's watering already." Charlie slapped Damon playfully on the back between his shoulder blades; my stomach flip-flopped as I watched. Charlie had become so fond of Damon, he already treated him like family after six or seven days of being in Forks, he was much warmer toward my current boyfriend than he was to my ex-boyfriend. It made me feel good inside, but it also worried me.

"It'll be done soon." Damon promised, finally turning so he could look at the two of us. He saved a meaningful _we need to talk after dinner _stare for me, I quickly looked away, opening the fridge and grabbing the jug of iced tea off the top shelf.

—

Dinner was a success; I had no idea Damon knew his way with spices and marinating a chicken to perfection, according to what Charlie had to say on my boyfriend's cooking ability. I watched them garvone the chicken and Asian stir-fry (separately) that had been made, while I stuck to my leafy green salad doused in Cesar dressing, and sprinkled with shredded cheese and croutons. After Damon and I cleaned up the kitchen, leaving Charlie to shower before watching the basketball game that was happening, we both sauntered up to my bedroom, discreetly closing the door behind us, not that I had any intention of fucking my boyfriend right now, especially while Charlie was downstairs, and awake. Damon sat by the headboard, hugging one of the pillows to him, while I sat in the middle of the bed by his slightly cramped legs, nervously tugging at the hem of my shirt. He hadn't stopped staring at me all through dinner, and Charlie pretended to be just as oblivious as I was. Honestly, I wasn't ready to tell Damon what I'd found out about Edward and Rosalie, but at the same time, I felt like I was, I felt compelled to tell Damon, as there were no secrets between us . . . not that this was technically considered a secret. It was just more personal than anything, since it had to do with my previous relationship with a scummy vampire.

"_So_, what happened at the Cullen's?" Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Emmett told me something about Edward and Rosalie…" I whispered, afraid of crying all over again, if I'd said it any louder. I could already feel my insides crumbling just as I thought over the exact words that Emmett had shared with me during our self-consoling, but those were words that I did not intend on sharing with Damon any time soon. I couldn't tell Damon that Rosalie had been kicked out of the house, and her whereabouts were unknown, even though Carlisle still loved her dearly — well, she wasn't _kicked out_. She decided that she wanted some time to herself, to get away from everything, just as I'd done, and that she would be welcome with open arms if she decided to come be a part of their coven again. But the way that Emmett had said it at first, was that she practically kicked herself out of the house, similar to the way I'd kicked myself out of their lives, after that incident. Edward wasn't living too far from the Cullen's, turns out there was a small cottage just through the woods across the river, that had been renovated for when Edward and I sealed the deal, so that we had a place of our own, and didn't feel so cramped in the Cullen's house after being married. Esme allowed him to live there, instead of leaving town like Rosalie; she couldn't bear to watch another child of hers leave. All she had left was Emmett, and Edward.

"What did he say?" Damon asked. I took a deep breath before going over the whole conversation with Damon, leaving out the part about Rosalie's leaving Forks and Edward living in the cottage, that wasn't really something that he needed to know. After I finished talking, I studied my boyfriend carefully, but he gave off absolutely nothing. His mouth opened after a few moments, "That's _really_ fucked up of him to do to you, Bella. _Honestly_. He's fucking_ pathetic_ if he has the_ desire to cheat on you_, especially with someone who's known to be his _sister_." I thought back to Damon's reaction to when I told him what my reason to leaving Forks was; that seemed like it was _forever_ ago.

"I know." I mumbled, crawling to sitting beside Damon, sliding so that I was lying down.

My arm stretched across his waist, his arms finding their way around my petite body, pulling our bodies close together. I didn't know the time, but I felt extremely exhausted. I didn't bother fighting the sleep that threatened to overwhelm, but this time, I prayed that I didn't have _another _nightmare. When I woke up, I felt like it was around four in the morning. Damon was absent from my bed, but I could hear him softly talking outside, just below my window. I threw my blanket off, swinging my legs over the edge, and getting to my feet. Slowly, I made my way toward the window, gripping at the sill, peering down. I could just barely make out the sight of my Salvatore standing below my window, but I could see that he was not alone. Someone tall and muscular with a deep, husky but childish voice, that I instantly recognized. I knelt down, so that if they happened to look up, I would be out of sight, but I kept my head tilted up, so I could listen more clearly.

"_You're endangering her life, wolf boy_." Damon's voice was a low snarl.

"_And you're not_?" Jacob shot back.

"_Her life wasn't on the line when she was back in Mystic Falls with me_." Damon retorted, and from the silence that went on for a good twenty seconds, Jacob knew that he was right._ I_ had been right, when I'd told Alice the night I was leaving for Virginia.

"_But you're still a blood-drinking demon that should go back to where he belongs — in hell_." Jacob was struggling to keep his voice low, due to how much anger was being built inside. I could hear it in his voice.

_"You're doing a lousy job of_ protecting _this town, Black_. I _could do a better job with a blindfold on, and one hand tied behind my back_." The smirk was evident in my boyfriend's cocky tone, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him. Though, he was a clever and witty guy. I have to give him props for that.

"_Fuck off_." My werewolf growled, he was definitely offended. I would be too. "Y_ou know you can't stay with her, right_?"

"_What the fuck_?" Damon was surprised to hear that come from Jacob, almost as much as I was. "_Listen, kid. I don't know who you think you are, but_—"

"I _am her best friend, and I know what's good for Bella_. You _are not good for Bella. I am not letting her ruin her life by becoming involved with another vampire, it was just as dangerous as when she was with Edward, and he put her life at stake with this redheaded bitch that keeps coming around_." Venom was dripping in Jacob's voice; I swallowed heavily. Victoria, indeed, was still in town. I thought back to the news report I'd seen, on the bodies that turned up dead, and the anchor woman claimed it to be in the hands of a serial killer; if only she knew. I'd spoke to Carlisle about it, and he said it seemed to be newborns that didn't know how to control themselves, or how to dispose of the dead body, so they just left it where they had fed.

"_I'm a much better choice for Bella than_ Edward." Damon insisted, but his voice was not kind.

"_One day, she's gonna turn up dead, and her blood will be on your hands, Damon._" Jacob said.

"_She won't turn up dead. Not if I feed her my blood._"

If I had been down there, I would know whether or not if Damon had winked at him. From the way he was talking, it sounded like he did, but I couldn't be too sure about that. Jacob was silent after that, I held my breath, twisting the ring around on my middle finger as I thought of what might be happening outside. Would Damon really feed me his blood, just to keep me somewhat alive? So there wouldn't have to be some kind of story about an animal attack circling back to Charlie, to prevent the grieving process? I gasped aloud as I heard someone coming upstairs, which was most likely Damon; I scrambled to my feet, lunged onto my bed, and wrapped myself in the blankets, burying my head into the pillow, squeezing my eyes shut tight. I felt like a child that wasn't supposed to be awake past their bedtime, and was only pretending to sleep to avoid any confrontation. I steadied my breathing as Damon sidled up next to me, slipping under the blanket and wrapping his arms around me, as if he'd never left to talk to Jacob outside. I did my best not to move more than I assumed I normally did while I was sleeping, I didn't want to give anything away. And I remained this way, until I actually fell back asleep.

—

**WELCOME TO MYSTIC FALLS**

My eyes narrowed as I read the sign through my blurry vision. How long had I been asleep, after the plane took off? Did I really sleep the entire four hours and some odd minutes, and then _longer _without even realizing it? I lifted my head slowly, to find myself staring at the passing trees as someone drove the car at an impeccable speed down the long twining roads as we entered the beloved supernatural town. My head had been resting on the shoulder that belonged to Damon Salvatore, he was talking to whoever was driving the car, and after blinking a few times to regain my vision, I saw that he and Stefan were having a conversation. But I immediately tuned them out, groaning softly as I tried to fall back asleep, surprising myself at how tired I felt even after sleeping for so long. The car jerked to a stop, Damon gingerly tapped my leg, I lifted my head up again to look at him, he was smiling down at me. I turned my head slightly, seeing that Stefan had parked the car in the Salvatore's driveway. We got out of the car in silence, I noted that Stefan had been given permission to drive the Camaro to come pick us up, seeing as Damon didn't seem the slightest pissed that his car had been driven by someone that wasn't him. Stefan carried my bag inside, as the both of us walked hand-in-hand, into the boarding house.

"Are you hungry? You've slept an awful lot today." Damon kissed my hair.

"Surprisingly, I'm not." I squeezed his fingers tightly with mine and giggled softly.

"Alright, well, let me bring your bag up into my room, okay? You're gonna spend some ... time here." Damon said, I looked for the grin that was usually on his face, but it was not present this time. Instead of badgering about it, I just kept quiet as Damon kissed me softly before shaking his hand from mine, grabbing my suitcase that had been left by the living room entryway, and walking upstairs to his bedroom at a humane pace. I followed him, but stopped as I was passing Stefan's bedroom, peaking through the open doorway to see Elena and Stefan in there. I smiled, they looked so cute together, and I couldn't help but wonder where Katherine might be lurking. Was she plotting ways to get Stefan or Damon back into her clutches? I watched as Stefan stood there with a smile on his face while Elena looked through some box.

"Your relatives were such packrats." Elena complained as she continued sifting through the box, then picks up two dresses, giving him a cute but sexy pout, arching an eyebrow, showing off the two dresses she was contemplating. "Ok, so, what do you think?" She shook the one in her left hand. "Twiggy, or-" She shook the dress in her right hand. "Sexy hippy?"

"You know it's not too late to back out, right?" Stefan ignored her question, his voice was laced deep with concern.

"And what, miss out on all the fun?" Elena's voice softened slightly, Stefan stepped closer to her, mumbling a small _hey_ to his girlfriend. Elena's expression changed drastically as she started speaking again, "All this time spent worrying about Klaus. I think I convinced myself that he's not real but he is."

"And tonight, we will put an end to him." He said right before he kissed Elena.

"I love you." She said as she started pulling back from their kiss, looking into his eyes.

"I want you to tell me that when the night is over." Stefan murmured softly, I could hear how thoughtful he was for Elena, and I wondered exactly what was going on. Where were they going? Was I missing out on something? Did they have something planned? Stefan and Elena kissed again, I felt someone's presence, stiffening at the thought that it could possibly be Katherine, since I didn't know her whereabouts.

But I relaxed instantly when Damon was the one to say, "Any time tonight," as he snaked an arm around my waist. They looked at us, Elena's cheeks flushed to a deep crimson, I looked away cowardly.

"What's going on?" I asked as I focused on Damon.

"Tonight's the 60s dance, we're going." Damon tightened his arm around my waist, kissing my forehead, then my lips. "Elena will lend you the reject dress, it will suit you _so _much better." The grin appeared on his face, and I tried not to smile at my boyfriend's comment. Elena giggled softly, not the slightest bit offended, as she handed me the orange and white tank dress that she didn't intend on wearing for the dance tonight. I tried not to think about their conversation, but it was relatively hard, considering they planned on taking down the so-called Klaus at the dance, but how? There would be hundreds of kids there, would they be able to do it so conspicuously that nobody would be able to notice a thing? But then again, I must forget who I'm dealing with, since these vampires are more crafty than ever, especially Damon.

—

I slipped on the dress with ease, I loved the way Elena's reject dress clung to my body, showing off my curves, and even giving a little push to my small breasts. I paired the dress with a pair of white go-go boots that had been in the box Elena found her dresses in, as she found the same kind of shoes to wear tonight at the party. We drove together in Damon's Camaro, to Mystic Falls High School, with some Beatles song playing on the radio. . . how ironic and cute, since we were dressed for the 60s and the Beatles _were_ from the 60s. We got out as Damon pulled up in front of the school, then headed inside the building, but I trailed behind a little so I could wait, and make an proper entrance to my school event with my boyfriend. Damon smiled, looking handsome as ever, even though there was little effort, or none at all, as he slipped his fingers through mine, walking to catch up with Stefan and Elena, and entering the school's gymnasium. My eyes widened in amazement at how well everything was put together; everyone was already dancing their ways in the middle of the dance floor, or they were helping themselves to the buffet that had been lined along the wall for people to eat. I looked around for a familiar face, immediately spotting Bonnie and Jeremy. I smiled, Bonnie looked adorable in her 60s dress, and my young cousin looked just as cute in his attire for the dance, not too far off, I spotted Caroline dressed as Jackie O, and Matt, who I assumed was dressed as JFK. They were too cute together.

"Damon." Bonnie said as she approached.

"Evenin'." Damon grinned, just as Elena and Stefan joined us.

"Hey you two." She smiled brightly, like she was ready to have a good time, considering what could happen tonight, "Oh, you look nice." Elena said as she embraced Bonnie.

"you too." Bonnie replied as they parted.

"You guys ready to do this?" Stefan asked, looking at everyone.

Not too long after, the dance was in full swing, Damon and I were dancing, I giggled as he taught me some moves that he'd learned while living through the 60s, he even told me that he was more fond of the 70s then anything, but that was a story for another time that he would love to share with me; give me another glimpse of Damon Salvatore. I looked all around, Stefan and Elena seemed like they were in their own world, just as Damon and I were, and it was extremely cute. Bonnie was a little distracted as she merged herself with Caroline and Matt, with Jeremy at her side. Suddenly, the music screeched to a stop, we all turned to see that Dana was on the stage, I recognized her from my lunch period, and I think I had history with her too. We started walking as we tired from dancing, I stuck close to Damon, and he held a tight grip on my waist, as if he was afraid I'd get lost.

"Thanks for being here, everybody. We have a special shout-out tonight." Dana said; the group of us slowed as we were by the front of the stage. I was afraid to look at Elena or Damon, or even Bonnie. A new song started playing that I recognized as Dedicated To The One I Love by The Mamas and The Papas, "This is for Elena. From Klaus."

I finally look at Elena, and she seems stunned. Damon cracked it by saying, "That was a lame, cheap shot. He's just trying to bait us."

She was looking around frantically. "I know everyone here."

"Maybe he's not here. He just wants us to believe that he is." Stefan said, his voice was a mixture of reassuring and hopeful.

"It's a party, people. Blend." Damon said, almost demandingly, but he was looking at me, which meant he didn't want me to worry, and he just wanted me to have fun at the dance tonight; I could tell from the way that his eyes settled on me, the depth that let me know I was right. "Let him come to us." He added for everyone else.

"Good idea." Bonnie said, grabbing Jeremy's arm.

"No, no. I really don't feel like dancing." The younger Gilbert laughed halfheartedly as he playfully struggled against Bonnie, who was desperate to see this guy dance, just like I wanted to see him dancing too. That would be an incredible sight, just like seeing Stefan dancing.

"Too bad." Bonnie smiled, dragging him more onto the dance floor, they disappeared quickly into the crowd of teenagers and chaperones.

Damon's eyes raked the gym, as if he was searching for someone. "There's Ric. I'll be back." My boyfriend gave me a quick kiss before he, too, disappeared into the sea of people to get to his friend that he hadn't seen since before we left for Washington eight days ago, leaving me all alone on the edge of the dance floor.


	34. Face Down

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
— Damon Salvatore

* * *

**Chapter Thirty Four**

I slipped on the dress with ease, I loved the way Elena's reject dress clung to my body, showing off my curves, and even giving a little push to my small breasts. I paired the dress with a pair of white go-go boots that had been in the box Elena found her dresses in, as she found the same kind of shoes to wear tonight at the party. We drove together in Damon's Camaro, to Mystic Falls High School, with some Beatles song playing on the radio. . . how ironic and cute, since we were dressed for the 60s and the Beatles _were_ from the 60s. We got out as Damon pulled up in front of the school, then headed inside the building, but I trailed behind a little so I could wait, and make an proper entrance to my school event with my boyfriend. Damon smiled, looking handsome as ever, even though there was little effort, or none at all, as he slipped his fingers through mine, walking to catch up with Stefan and Elena, and entering the school's gymnasium. My eyes widened in amazement at how well everything was put together; everyone was already dancing their ways in the middle of the dance floor, or they were helping themselves to the buffet that had been lined along the wall for people to eat. I looked around for a familiar face, immediately spotting Bonnie and Jeremy. I smiled, Bonnie looked adorable in her 60s dress, and my young cousin looked just as cute in his attire for the dance, not too far off, I spotted Caroline dressed as Jackie O, and Matt, who I assumed was dressed as JFK. They were too cute together.

"Damon." Bonnie said as she approached.

"Evenin'." Damon grinned, just as Elena and Stefan joined us.

"Hey you two." She smiled brightly, like she was ready to have a good time, considering what could happen tonight, "Oh, you look nice." Elena said as she embraced Bonnie.

"You too." Bonnie replied as they parted.

"You guys ready to do this?" Stefan asked, looking at everyone.

Not too long after, the dance was in full swing, Damon and I were dancing, I giggled as he taught me some moves that he'd learned while living through the 60s, he even told me that he was more fond of the 70s then anything, but that was a story for another time that he would love to share with me; give me another glimpse of Damon Salvatore. I looked all around, Stefan and Elena seemed like they were in their own world, just as Damon and I were, and it was extremely cute. Bonnie was a little distracted as she merged herself with Caroline and Matt, with Jeremy at her side. Suddenly, the music screeched to a stop, we all turned to see that Dana was on the stage, I recognized her from my lunch period, and I think I had history with her too. We started walking as we tired from dancing, I stuck close to Damon, and he held a tight grip on my waist, as if he was afraid I'd get lost.

"Thanks for being here, everybody. We have a special shout-out tonight." Dana said; the group of us slowed as we were by the front of the stage. I was afraid to look at Elena or Damon, or even Bonnie. A new song started playing that I recognized as Dedicated To The One I Love by The Mamas and The Papas, "This is for Elena. From Klaus."

I finally look at Elena, and she seems stunned. Damon cracked it by saying, "That was a lame, cheap shot. He's just trying to bait us."

She was looking around frantically. "I know everyone here."

"Maybe he's not here. He just wants us to believe that he is." Stefan said, his voice was a mixture of reassuring and hopeful.

"It's a party, people. Blend." Damon said, almost demandingly, but he was looking at me, which meant he didn't want me to worry, and he just wanted me to have fun at the dance tonight; I could tell from the way that his eyes settled on me, the depth that let me know I was right. "Let him come to us." He added for everyone else.

"Good idea." Bonnie said, grabbing Jeremy's arm.

"No, no. I really don't feel like dancing." The younger Gilbert laughed halfheartedly as he playfully struggled against Bonnie, who was desperate to see this guy dance, just like I wanted to see him dancing too. That would be an incredible sight, just like seeing Stefan dancing.

"Too bad." Bonnie smiled, dragging him more onto the dance floor, they disappeared quickly into the crowd of teenagers and chaperones.

Damon's eyes raked the gym, as if he was searching for someone. "There's Ric. I'll be back." My boyfriend gave me a quick kiss before he, too, disappeared into the sea of people to get to his friend that he hadn't seen since before we left for Washington eight days ago, leaving me all alone on the edge of the dance floor. I let my eyes roam around the gym, in search of someone I might be able to have a good time with, at my first MFH school dance, smoothing down my silky tresses as I weaved through the crowd, saying hi to random people, even if I didn't know their names, but they said hi back, because they knew that I was Elena's cousin, though, I wasn't sure if they knew that I was the eternal stud's girlfriend. I couldn't be too sure, so I can't call that as my identifier. I spotted Bonnie shimming with Jeremy, and not too far off, Stefan is having the time of his life with Elena. Just as I arrive, I see Bonnie's attention stray, I follow her gaze to that Caroline and Matt are on their way over.

"Caroline's here." Elena said to Stefan, sounding breathless, from dancing so much. "They don't know what's going on. We have to tell her."

"I'm on it." Stefan looked at Damon, and left Elena's side; immediately my boyfriend sidled up beside Elena, beginning to dance with her, his hands never leaving hers, I smiled at him, and he smiled back, beckoning for me to join them.

"How you doing?" I heard Damon ask.

"Um," Elena looked around nervously, but there was a hint of a smile. "Freaking out a bit. You?"

"Cool as a cucumber." Damon grinned. "Come on, remember the last decade dance? The vampires were all, "ahh!" And you were all, "aahh!"," I watched as Damon made hand gestures, waving them around and laughing a little.

"Right. And you won." Elena smiled.

"Yes! We did." Damon extended her out, then slowly twirled her back.

"You're good at this." She said as she hit softly against his chest when she came back to him.

"I've got moves you've never seen." Damon bragged, his head inches away from hers, causing Elena to laugh. Her free hand extended out to me, I immediately grabbed it and joined their tight-knit dance; Damon snaked one arm around my waist, and continued twirling Elena, I shimmied against him, ducking my head to resting my lips on his shoulder. After the song ended, Damon kissed my cheek, then disappeared from my side, I watched as he weaved the few feet to where Bonnie and Jeremy were dancing, extending his hand out toward Bonnie. I made my way curiously through the crowd, wanting to know what they could possibly have to talk about,

"May I?" He asked; Jeremy looked at the elder Salvatore and left them to dance.

" You heard Jeremy and me talking, didn't you?" She wasn't stupid, especially since he had heightened senses, he could hear a conversation in the hallway behind closed doors.

"Is it true?" I wish I was able to see what Damon's expression was, I couldn't tell if he was genuinely worried or not about whatever is true, or isn't true, like I heard in his voice.

"Yes." Bonnie nodded.

"The part about you having a 50-50 shot of surviving?" Damon didn't sound entirely sure that he was okay with that plan, but he seemed to just want to be sure that they were on the same page. "Is that true?"

"He was upset. I didn't want him to worry." Bonnie explained.

"So you lay it out on the line for Elena, no matter what." Damon's voice hardened.

"No matter what." She repeated softly, her eyes never leaving my boyfriend's, as if to draw the point across that she knew exactly what she was going to do for Elena.

"Good." He responded icily; he must really care about Elena's safety when it dropped down to Klaus. If I hadn't been his girlfriend, and he hadn't told me that he loved me, I would assume that he was in love with Elena.

"You can't tell her." Her lips moved so fast as she rushed her words out.

"Your secret's safe with me, but I mean..." His voice trailed off slightly. "With all that power, is there no way to increase your odds?" I moved through the crowd so that I could get a better look at Damon, his eyes were darken than the pale baby blue, and his voice matched the stony expression on his face.

"Careful, Damon." Bonnie said in a teasing, light tone. "I might start to think you actually care."

"We wouldn't want that." Damon grinned sheepishly, lifting his gaze from Bonnie and finally meeting my eyes. The grin dropped to a sincere, loving smile, I watched as he took his hand from Bonnie to beckon me over, muttering something to the witch that automatically made her leave as I approached him. His hands found my waist, pulling our bodies tightly together, he ducked his head toward mine, resting his forehead on the top of my head, I looked at him through the tips of my eyelashes, smiling back at him.

"Are you having fun?" I asked loud enough for him to hear with the music blasting throughout the gymnasium.

"I am, are you?" He replied softly, spinning us around once, as I nodded. "I'm sorry I haven't spent much time with you tonight, things are just really rough, ya know? And we want to make sure everything goes according to plan with Klaus."

"I know." I nodded understandingly, Damon leaned down a little more until his lips were softly pressing against mine; my eyes fluttered closed as I softly returned the kiss, I could feel his lips curved into a smile. His arms slide to wrap around my waist, our bodies pulled so there was no gap between us, his hand running up and down my side gently, inching close to the hem of my dress. I giggled softly, and swatted his hand away, he feigned hurt, smirking down at me.

I looked away from Damon to see Jeremy exiting the gym, then Stefan swiftly slipping through the doors after him. From the corner of my eye, as the crowd is bustling to whatever song is playing by the DJ, I see Bonnie and Elena, while two girls sidle up beside Damon and I. I pretend to not be angered by this, by the way they start pushing their butts up against him, only because his eyes are trained on me, and I have the front of him while they are on our flanks. Bonnie slowly looks over her shoulder, directly at Damon, as Damon makes eye contact with her; Elena and Bonnie disappear from the gym, just as Stefan comes over to us.

"Come here, come here, come here." Stefan's voice is frantic. "Please tell me you didn't know that Bonnie was on a suicide mission."

"Oh, great." Damon rolled his eyes. "Jeremy told you and of course you told Elena."

"Yeah, I told her. You promised her no more secrets." Stefan reminded the elder Salvatore; where was I when this arrangement had been made? That was _our _promise. What went down between Damon and Elena when I wasn't around?

"I changed my mind." Damon smirked at his younger brother, then continued dancing with me. Stefan rolled his eyes, and stormed off, disappearing into the crowd of teenagers. His attention was back on me, I tried not to laugh as the girls tried getting Damon to notice them more, but it was pointless since I was dancing here, as well. Several minutes later, just as the girls were about to give up, Stefan rushed back toward us, said something to Damon, and then they were both gone from my line of vision, slipping passed the doors and into the hallway. Worried, I make a quick escape out the gym too, following after my boyfriend and his younger brother in time to see that two guys were ganging up on Jeremy, throwing punches and kicking him in the ribs. One of the guys shoots a stake at Damon with a crossbow, his body jerks backward. I gasp loudly, my hands flying to cover my mouth, eyes wide, but I don't dare say anything.

"Bella, get back inside." Damon groaned, and then turned his attention to the boys in front of them. "Let me guess..." he spoke fiercely through his teeth. "Klaus says hi?" The boys pull out more weapons, Damon lunges for one of them.

"No, no, no, no, don't kill him. He's compelled." Stefan quickly caught his brother's arm.

"So?" Damon glared.

"So, the whole thing's a distraction. Go find Bonnie and Elena. I got this. Go." Stefan's eyes flickered to me, signaling that I was to go with my boyfriend, seeing as it might be safer if I was with Damon, rather than being alone, while the Klaus character was running among the MF high school population. I watched as Damon throws the guy against the lockers, grabs my hand, and tugs me away from the scene.

—

A sound of twin metal doors slamming is the first thing we hear as we trudge down the empty hallways of my high school, soon enough we see that Bonnie and Elena are on the other side of the closed doors; Damon and I quickly run over to them, Elena's eyes frantically meeting mine, then they move to Damon.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Klaus is in Alaric's body." Elena breathed.

"What?" Damon spoke through his teeth.

"He's possessing it or something." Bonnie answered; Damon looks at Elena, meeting her gaze.

"Go find Stefan." He demanded, "Now."

"Okay." Elena nods.

"Now." He repeats, more forceful. Elena takes off down the hall, leaving Damon, Bonnie, and I alone. His burning eyes fix on the witch. "Can you kill him?"

'He's got some kind of protection spell on him," Bonnie informed, her voice struggling for confidence.

"You have the power of a hundred dead witches. Break it." I could hear the venom dripping in my boyfriend's voice, this was painful to him, was he really scared for something to happen to Elena that he would do anything at all costs to make sure that she was protected? I looked up at Damon; he never took his eyes off Bonnie.

"I'm trying! If I kill Alaric, he'll just possess someone else." Bonnie's voice broke, I could see the tears welling in her eyes, the fear that she wasn't strong enough to take on Klaus, especially if he was in our history teacher's body. She feared for not herself, but for Elena, and for Alaric. "He knows I have my power, Damon," she continued softly. "He's trying to kill me."

"No." Damon said sternly. "Klaus does not get to win tonight, no way." He spoke through his teeth, I could see the muscles tensing in his jaw, and then the muscles started relaxing almost instantly. "You still willing to do whatever it takes to kill him?" Bonnie was silent, and I didn't look at her. He finally looked away from Elena, turning his attention to me, "Go with her." He spoke lowly to me, referring to Elena.

"What? No! Elena will be—"

"Go, Bella!" Damon nearly yelled, frightening me for a moment.

Instead of arguing, I sighed in defeat softly to myself, and took off running down the hall after Elena, rushing through the gymnasium doors and snaking my way through the crowd to find where Elena had gone, occasionally bouncing on my toes to see over the towering heads as much as I possibly could; this was urgent. I could just barely make out the sight of Elena's swishing ponytail, Caroline and Matt are near by. I push my way through the crowd, my mind blanking for a moment as I thought back to my trip to Italy with Alice, when I was on the mission to save Edward's life before he exposed himself in front of everyone on the St. Marcus Day Festival. But reality quickly settled back in as I remembered what would be happening tonight, nearly tripping over my feet, elbowing people out of my way, muttering small apologies to those who cursed under their breath. By the time I get to Elena, she's already heading in the direction I spot Stefan, leaving a dumbfounded Caroline in her wake. Immediately, she grabs my arm, pulling me over to the side, smiling apologetically at her boyfriend.

"Bella, what's going on?" Caroline asked softly, there was desperation and fear in her eyes.

"I don't know, Caroline. But Damon told me to find Stefan." My eyes raked the crowd once more so I didn't lose tabs.

"Elena is too, is everything okay?" she questioned. I opened my mouth to speak, but I saw Elena and Stefan ready to leave the gymnasium. I excuse myself from Caroline's side, and I can faintly hear Matt talking to her.

"What was that about?" He inquired.

"Oh, you know, just same old drama." Caroline said wearily, and then I could no longer hear them. I made my way out the gymnasium, several feet behind where Stefan and Elena were running, it doesn't take before long that Damon comes into view, confronting the couple. No talking appears to be done until I join the trio.

"There you are." Damon said immediately.

"What are you doing?" Elena sounded angry, I didn't need to look at her, to know that she was. "Where's Bonnie?"

"She's doing what she has to do." He said evenly, not making eye contact with anyone, even me.

"What?" She gaped.

"Where is she?" Stefan demanded.

"Stefan, let her do this." Damon's voice was still even, calm.

"Damn it, Damon," The younger Salvatore snapped bitterly, anger rising in his voice. "Where is she?!"

Damon jerked his head, motioning for us to follow him; we hurry down the long narrow hallways, straight to the cafeteria. Suddenly, the twin metal doors slam shut, Elena slams her hands against them, trying to push them open. I can see through the window that there is a lot of destruction going on, lots of twisting and lights flashing, sparks electrifying the entire room, Elena doesn't stop trying to push the doors open. Damon grabs my hand firmly, just as I'm about to go toward the doors for myself, to stand beside Elena, to reassure her that everything would be okay, even though I had no idea if I would be right.

"Bonnie, no!" Elena yelled. I peak as much as I possibly can; I see that Bonnie is still taking on Alaric/Klaus, and nothing seems to be going well. If it weren't for Elena's scream, I would have thought that everything _was _okay, that _Bonnie _would be okay. But I see while Stefan tries opening the door, that Bonnie looks toward the doors where we are standing, blood gushing profusely from her nose; her body jerks, arches, and then collapses to the floor. The whirlwind of magic that occurred inside the cafeteria abruptly stops; Elena and Stefan push through the doors, rushing over to where Bonnie's body lie. She drops to her knees, I could hear her sniffling. Damon doesn't allow me to move from where we stand. "No! Oh! Bonnie! Bonnie! Bonnie! Hey, hey!" She cries to her best friend's body, her body is jerking, I assume that she's shaking Bonnie to try to wake her conscious. My heart nearly breaks in half as I see Elena take Bonnie into her arms; Stefan looks around, as I do the same, only to find that Alaric had disappeared from the cafeteria not too long after Bonnie dropped to the ground. "Stefan, she's not breathing!" I can hear my cousin's broken sobs. "Stefan!" She continued, her body becomes frantic as her back remains to me and Damon. "Stefan, I can't find her pulse! Stefan! Do something, please! Stefan, please! Just give her blood, do _something_, please!"

I swallow heavily as Stefan replies, "It's too late. I'm sorry."

Elena starts rocking, her body trembling as she cries. "No! No. No, no, no, no, no! Bonnie! Bonnie, please, no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

A tear slips down my cheek as I watch Elena and Stefan, Damon gives my hand a firm squeeze, then released, walking toward Elena and Stefan into the cafeteria. I wipe away the tear. "Stefan, get Elena out of here." He said in a tone that I did not recognize. "I'll deal with the body."

Elena's head snaps to looking in Damon's direction, tears flowing down her face. "What do you mean, _deal with it_?"

"The sheriff can't know about this. Last thing we need's another mysterious death." Damon answered; I found myself wishing there was something I could do. I felt so bad for Elena; she'd lost her best friend, watched her die, to protect her. I would have done the same thing Bonnie did, especially for Elena, and I know Alice and Damon would do the same thing for me; but that thought is unbearable. Everyone I knew already put themselves at stake, to my expense, and it made me feel terrible enough as it was.

"This is Bonnie!" Elena yells at him.

Damon looked at Stefan, "Get her home. Now. So I can clean this up."

Obediently, Stefan catches Elena into his arms, Bonnie's body lays back on the ground, as he tries helping Elena to her feet. "Hey, hey, hey." His voice is gentle, sincere, and caring, he must hate seeing Elena so distraught; I know I do.

"No." Elena shook her head. "Jeremy." She gasped, looking up at Stefan. "Oh, my god, Jeremy. What about Jeremy?"

"I'll find him." Damon insisted as Elena finally got to her feet.

She looks at Bonnie one more time, her screams and cries nearly tearing me apart, and from the look on Stefan's face, it had the same effect on him — and there was most likely nothing either of us could do. Stefan wraps his arms around her, gesturing for me to follow as he guides Elena out. I glance at Damon, who walked the few feet, and closed Bonnie's eyes; he meets my gaze and nods. I bit my lip softly, before reluctantly following Stefan. It's a silent drive back to the Salvatore boarding house, we had taken Jeremy's car, or Aunt Jenna's car back, and Stefan said he would return it in the morning. As soon as we arrive, Stefan has Elena take a seat on the couch next to the fireplace, I sit farthest from her, knowing she probably wanted to be left alone after something that traumatic. I watch as Stefan makes a glass, then rejoins Elena on the couch.

"Hey." He murmured, "Here," He gestured for her to take the glass. "Drink this."

"I can't." She replied gently, her voice cracking.

"Yeah." Stefan nodded. "Yeah, you can. Please drink this."

Elena takes the glass, but the tears don't stop. "This is my fault." She whispered.

"No, no, no, no." Stefan shook his head, his voice reassuring. "No. Hey. This was Klaus." He placed his hand on hers. "Listen to me; Klaus did this."

Before Elena could respond to him, the front door opens and Damon is walking into the living room. Her facial expression changes from sad to hateful in a matter of seconds, "What did you do with her?!" She jumps from the couch, starting to walk toward him hastily.

Damon only looked at Stefan, "Will you please calm her down?"

"Don't talk like I'm not standing right in front of you." Elena nearly spoke through her teeth, the anger was evident on her face, and so was the hurt.

"Please, calm down." Damon tried, his eyes flickered to where I was sitting, I shifted uncomfortably.

"You know! Didn't you?" She stared at him accusingly. "You knew that if she harnessed all that power, that she would die, didn't you?"

Damon was quiet for a moment, his breathing was even, and his expression gave off no emotion. "Yes." He said softly, evenly. "Yes, I knew." I jumped in my seat, my eyes a widened panic as Elena's hand made a harsh connection with the side of Damon's face, a loud slapping sound of skin colliding echoed through the room; her face contorted with absolute hatred, anger, and something else that I couldn't label. But Damon didn't do anything in retaliation after Elena had slapped him. "You need to listen to me, and prepare for what I'm about to say." He acted as if Elena hadn't touched him. "Bonnie had to die." He spoke slowly. "Klaus using Alaric's body was a total surprise. She wasn't prepared for that. And he wasn't going to stop, and we weren't going to be able to stop him until he knew she was dead." I got up from the couch as I listened to Damon's explanation, watching as Elena calmed down, a softening look in her eyes. "He had to believe it." I wasn't sure if she was sorry for slapping Damon or not, but I didn't say anything as I joined at Damon's side. His hand immediately found mine, but he didn't look away from Elena. "She cast a spell. Bonnie's okay."

With that, Damon brings me upstairs, and I hear that Stefan is following us. "You know, you could have told me."

He turned to face his brother, stopping before we make it to the staircase"How do I know when you're going to go blabbing things to your girlfriend?"

Stefan's face hardened, but only slightly. "You understand what you put her through?"

Damon shook his hand free of mine to fully face Stefan, I looked between the two brothers as he spoke, his voice forward and stern. "See, that's why I didn't tell you. 'Cause you would have never been able to do it. Don't get me wrong, Stefan. I don't mind being the bad guy. I'll make all the life and death decisions while you're busy worrying about collateral damage. I'll even let her hate me for it. But at the end of the day, I'll be the one to keep her alive."

Before Stefan could reply back, Damon grabbed my hand again, and brought me upstairs. Damon kissed my forehead as I sat down on his gigantic bed, he immediately took his seat beside me, wrapping his arms around me tightly and laying us back, nuzzling his cheek against me, his lips brushing against my neck, I shiver lightly and try to fight the smile that's threatening to touch my lips. I loved his touch. I had missed his touch. Today was so crazy, it was nice to have a peaceful with Damon inside of his bedroom. I could have laid here forever, and I knew that Damon wouldn't have minded, either. But my mind still boggled the night's events. I looked at him, taking my bottom lip between my teeth, gnawing softly.

"That was... considerate... of you." I said softly.

"Considerate?" Damon raised an eyebrow, I slowly nodded. "What do you mean?"

"The way you conspired all of this, with Bonnie." I continued, watching as a slight smile quirked Damon's lips. Instead of responding, his lips were pressed to mine, slow and soft, I could feel the passion exploding, tingling my lips as I returned the kiss deeply; his hands cupped my face, pulling me closer to him. I slid on top of him, straddling his waist. One hand dropped fro my face to grip at my thigh, his hips instinctively grinding against mine, which I kindly returned the gesture. His jeans scraping sexually against my bare legs, instantly reminding me that this wasn't like all the other times, that I was wearing a dress, and this made things extremely easier for any kind of activity that were to happen. Although I was mad at him, I understood better why he did what he had done, and this was the perfect way to take my mind off things that had gone successful for once. Though, I still worried what would happen now that Klaus believed Bonnie was dead, but those thoughts were chased away as soon as Damon's hand was caressing my inner thigh, his finger tips brushing against my lace underwear. I felt him smirk against my lips, his hand disappearing between my thighs, two fingers slowly, tentatively, tantalizingly sliding into my core. I gasped a moan into his mouth, arching myself slightly, suddenly wanting to feel more of him than just his fingers. It was this kind of effect he had on me, that I loved so much. He had _changed _me so much since my arrival in December. I couldn't have been more grateful for my meeting Damon Salvatore, and this was a good way to prove that everything was right, that everything was finally falling into place. His fingers expertly pumped in and out of me, rotating slowly, curving slightly, hitting deep inside of my core. I felt like I was going to come after not even three minutes; my body writhed, I felt a harsh hit of an adrenaline rush, and I could only think of one way to ease it. But Damon quickly pulled away, his fingers removed as I heard someone walking down the hall.

Moments later, Elena appeared in Damon's doorway. He groaned, "Ugh. Look. Klaus had to think she was dead. Your reaction had to be real."

"I understand why you did what you did." Elena said softly, I recalled my own thoughts from not too long ago, and tried not to smile. "Klaus was fooled, and Bonnie's alive."

"Here's to duplicity." Damon said as he got up from the bed, Elena walking more into the elder Salvatore's bedroom.

'But let's get one thing straight, Damon." The tone in her voice was icy. "Bonnie will not die for me, I will not let that happen."

"We need to kill Klaus, Elena." He reminded her. "Real Klaus. Who will probably be coming to pay you a visit soon now that he knows that Bonnie is dead. She's the only one who can do it."

"We'll find another way." Elena said immediately.

"I hope so." Damon nearly sighed, turning to look over at me, I had crossed my legs the moment I saw Elena in the doorway to avoid any suspicion, not that it really mattered since Damon was publicly, exclusively, my boyfriend and there was no need to hide anything that went on between us any longer.

"Look," Elena glanced at me before settling on Damon. "I shouldn't have hit you."

"Apology accepted." He said almost too quickly. "Let me be clear about something." His voice was stern now, informing even. "If it comes down to you and the witch again, I will gladly let Bonnie die." I tried not to make any noises, as I listened to their conversation. His next choice of words, he spoke slow, and his tone was still informing, to get the point across as he said, "I will always choose you."

Elena is quiet as she stared at him, letting his words sink in. "Good night, Damon."

"Good night." He quipped. Elena looks at him once more, smiles softly at me, then leaves, most likely to go find where Stefan was. Damon returned to laying on the bed with me as soon as my cousin was gone, but something changed, I shifted away from him, looking down at his glorious Immortal body, biting softly on my bottom lip again. He looked at me skeptically. "What?"

"Would you do that for me?" I blurted, unable to contain myself. I was curious, as all fucking hell.

Slowly, Damon used his forearms to sit himself up a little, looking directly into my eyes. "Bella," he muttered softly, reaching out and taking one of my hands in his much larger one. I remained quiet, shifting a little where I sat to be more comfortable, unable to look away from my boyfriend. The way he said my name, made my heart speed up inside of my chest; the way it was so gentle, so serene. I could hear the love pouring from him, in just the simple wording of my nickname. "I would rather die, then let anything happen to you." A smile broke out on his face triumphantly.

My heart immediately plummeted.

Part of me was ecstatic that he'd said that, but at the same time, I couldn't even register the _idea _of Damon dying in the place of my love, to keep me safe and protected, to make sure that nothing happened to me. I tried to smile back at him, but it was on the border line of being fake, I could feel it in the tenseness of my cheeks that refused to thaw; I swallowed heavily as I leaned forward.

"I love you Damon." I whispered before placing my lips on his.

"I love you too." He answered just as quietly, his arms constricting around me, pulling my body toward his so that we were lying on his bed with no gaps between us. But I could hardly focus as our kiss continued; the passion was still there, but my heart was stammering with fear, and I knew that I needed to get in touch with Alice as soon as the sun came up tomorrow morning, and I prayed that she wasn't too busy, or with Jasper. This would need to be kept private; I know how good Alice is at keeping secrets, especially from a mind reader like Edward, but thankfully, Jasper's medium was emotions. That made me more shaken on the inside, because Jasper knew something would be wrong the moment I stepped through the front door.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Just a sad little reminder that this story would be coming close to an end, in a few more chapters, now that we're technically almost at the end of season 2. Also, throwing in my disclaimer once again: I do not own The Vampire Diaries, all rights go to L.J. Smith for the creation of her characters, The CW for scenes from 2 x 19 (The Last Dance) in this chapter and at the end of the last chapter. I do not own anything related to Twilight, that is all Stephenie Meyer, the publishing company, and Summit Entertainment for bringing it all to life.


	35. Idiotic Decisions

Epigraph

"_I can't stand the idea of you hating me forever_."  
— Damon Salvatore

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**Chapter Thirty Five**

After the rousing events of an Original vampire being undaggered and Klaus' arrival in Mystic Falls stirring things up for the Salvatore brothers for Elena's protection, I was pretty much clinging to Alice to make up for lost time since I hadn't seen her much before I left to go to Washington, but slept over the Salvatore's at night so she and Jasper had the house to themselves: that morning two days after the dance, I woke up before Damon, just a little after eleven, to the sound of Stefan having a conversation with someone downstairs. I slipped out of my boyfriend's grasp without jostling the bed, adjusted the black button-down I'd worn to bed that I borrowed from Damon, and walked downstairs as casually as possible, slow but at a decent pace, running my fingers through my matted hair. I saw that Stefan was in depth with the man called Elijah — I had met him at the Dinner party that Damon organized before I left to see my Dad and Jacob, and he was also the original vampire I mentioned that had been undaggered by Elena to create some kind of safety and to get more information out of him on Klaus. I wasn't going to lie; I was terrified to finally meet Klaus. I didn't trust Elijah, but I did trust what he knew.

"Tonight is the full moon," Elijah had been saying, my presence not acknowledged as I made my way into the room. "We should assume that Klaus is prepared to break the curse."

"Elena said that the Sun and the Moon curse is fake? That it's actually just a curse placed on Klaus…" Stefan sounded like he was trying to piece everything together as much as he possible could, clearly confused on what they'd been practically fighting the moonstone for with Katherine: her whereabouts were still unknown, and this made me extremely happy. I also learned that Elijah had an infatuation with Katherine whilst she was still human, before she forced herself into the immortal world to escape Klaus in, I think, 1492.

"Klaus is a vampire born of a werewolf bloodline." I admired the way Elijah kept his words so simple, and he spoke so elegantly, like the true nobleman he appeared to be. "The curse has kept his werewolf aspect from manifesting. But if he breaks it…. He'll be a true hybrid."

I hadn't heard Damon come downstairs, or known he was in the room, until his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me tightly to him. "Then why are we letting him break the curse? We can kill him today. With Bonnie."

"Damon…" The younger Salvatore spoke with warning.

'No. Bonnie can't use that much power without dying." Elena added into the conversation.

"I'll write her a great eulogy." Damon smirked, I elbowed him in the ribs, but I'm sure it hurt me more than it did him by the way he chuckled softly under his breath.

"It's not an option, Damon." She confirmed with an narrowing of her eyes.

"Alright, how do we break this curse?" Stefan asked, the conversation of Bonnie dissolving quickly, giving Elijah his attention since he was the only one who knew anything about it.

"Well, the ritual itself is relatively straightforward." Elijah said simply. "The ingredients, so to speak, you already know."

"The moonstone." Stefan nodded.

"A witch will channel the power of the full moon to release the spell that's bound within the stone. After that, Klaus, being both werewolf and vampire, will sacrifice one of each." I didn't like the expression that had crossed the Original vamp's face but I pretended to be interested in twirling a loose thread from Damon's shirt around my middle finger.

"And where do I fit into it?" My cousin asked the elder vampire.

"The final part of the ritual." We watched as Elijah took a wooden box from a shelf. "Klaus must drink the blood of the doppelgänger… to the point of your death." Damon looked at Elena, who's hand was quickly intertwined with Stefan's; Elena looked at her boyfriend, then Elijah, as he opened the box and removed a jar from it.

"And that's where you come in." Elena breathed.

"This is an elixir that I acquired some 500 years ago for Katerina. It possesses mystical properties of resuscitation." Elijah held the jar up a little more for us to see.

"So I'll be dead?" She gaped.

"And then you won't." He added to her statement.

"That's your plan? A magical witch potion with no expiration date?" Damon looked over at Elena once more, his icy eyes narrowing slightly. I could tell he didn't like the idea of this anymore that I did. "You want to come back to life, what about John's ring?"

"Those rings only work on humans; the doppelgänger's a supernatural occurrence. Odds are, the ring won't work." Elijah said doubtfully.

"I'll take those odds over your elixir." Damon snapped. "What if it doesn't work, Elena?"

"Then I guess I'll just be dead," I hated how confident Elena sounded, and it made my heart clench inside of my chest that she was _okay _with dying if something went wrong tonight with the sacrifice. Damon immediately looked over at Stefan, I tried not to grit my teeth as his younger brother only shrugged; his eyes then flickering to where Elijah stood. Without a word, he left the room, leaving me downstairs with Stefan, Elena, and Elijah.

"Do we know if Klaus has everything he need to do this? Does he have a werewolf?" It was the first time I spoke since waking up this morning. Elijah looked over at me, an unknown emotion flickering across his face as he rolled his shoulders back; his voice was calm and composed as he replied,

"Klaus has been waiting to break this curse for over a thousand years. If he doesn't have a werewolf, my guess is by tonight, he will."

I tried to fight the urge to look over at Elena, my mind reeling with the different possibilities that could go on throughout the night. It made me so scared. My thoughts immediately went to Jacob and Edward, or Jacob and Alice, or even Jacob and Damon. If I was in Elena's place, they were the possible sacrifices for tonight's ritual, and it churned my stomach to the point where I thought I was going to throw up until it became violent and there was blood toppling from my mouth, with hot tears running down my face, as if I had no chance of survival, no matter what Elijah would tell me. How could Elena be so calm about this all? Did she really not care that she was going to die? Who could Klaus even snatch? What was he capable of?

I was terrified to find out.

I excused myself from the conversation, and walked to find Damon, who I eventually found standing outside with a glass of scotch in his hand. I glanced over my shoulder to see that Stefan was following me, most likely to have a talk with Damon; I knew he'd have a better chance at getting through to him then I would since I was on my boyfriend's side when it came to saving Elena's life. Stefan stood beside his brother, hands shoved into his pockets, neither of them looked at each other; I lurked behind them, not wanting to interrupt the brotherly moment.

"Breakfast of champions, huh?" the smile could be heard in Stefan's voice.

"I'm surrounded by idiots." Damon said as he took a sip from his scotch, I tried not to giggle: he sounded like Scar from the Lion King, which happened to be one of my favorite Disney movies of all time. "I need all the help I can get."

"You know, you're not helping." Stefan remarked, almost sounding a little bitter.

"Elijah is an original vampire, Stefan. One we tried to kill. You're going to believe this guy?" There was an edgy tone to Damon's voice as he spoke down to his little brother; and I couldn't help but agree with him, not just because he was my boyfriend, but because he was sounding like he was making a point.

"What do you want me to do, Damon? Elena made her decision. She's choosing to trust Elijah. I'm going to put my faith in her." Stefan reasoned; their backs were facing me so I couldn't tell whether or not Damon had rolled his eyes.

"Why? She's going to end up dead." Damon sneered.

"Because she put her faith in me. She chose to trust me in spite of what I am. I'm going to bet on somebody's instinct, it's going to be hers." Stefan answered robotically; this made me think that since I somehow had a part in this now because I cared for Elena's protection, or that's what I'd like to think since I know Elena would do the same thing if it were me, I should be on Stefan's side in all this, along with Elena's, and trusting Elijah with my cousin's life at stake, she was in his protection, they made a deal, but somehow, that just wasn't enough for me; the same going for Damon. I bit my lip.

"Well, then, that makes you the biggest idiot of them all." Damon shot venomously; I inaudibly gasped at my boyfriend's choice of words.

"She chose to trust you, too." The younger Salvatore reminded him.

"Then maybe you shouldn't be so sure about her instincts." Damon growled, looking over at Stefan before turning to walk away, his eyes locking momentarily with mine. I swallowed heavily, frozen where I stood, my feet nailed to the ground; Damon tore his gaze from mine, and swiftly exited, swallowing back the remains of his scotch without a look over his shoulder to see whether or not I was coming after him. Stefan sighed softly, turning to see that I was standing there, running a hand through his hair, dropping his gaze as he walked to where he'd left Elena and Elijah. I watched as Stefan disappeared into the library; I took this time to see where Damon had ventured off to — of course, I'd found him in his bedroom, staring out the window, casually sipping from his glass, I assumed he poured himself another round of scotch to take his mind off everything.

"Damon?" I said softly.

"What do you want?" Damon's voice was tense.

"I came to see if you were okay." I mumbled, slowly walking up to him, wrapping my arms tightly around his waist from behind, the way normally guys did to their girlfriends. Damon's body was just as tense, his muscles refusing to relax, even at my touch. I pressed my forehead between the blades of his shoulders, and closed my eyes.

"They are all a bunch of fucking idiots, Bella. Fucking idiots. Do they not understand? Because I don't…. How can they fucking trust Elijah?" He said, sounding more like he was talking to himself rather than me, so I chose not to answer him, instead I allowed him to continue talking/ranting/venting. "I can't believe Stefan isn't trying to fight Elena on this.."

"I understand, Damon. And I'm with you on this." I reply. Damon unraveled my arms from him, turning around so he could look down at me with an eyebrow raised. Was he questioning whether I was serious or not? Silently answering his unasked question, I nodded at him, to let him know I meant that I was on _his _side for Elena's life being in the hands of Elijah, that I, too, did not trust the vampire I hardly knew. But before Damon could say anything back to me, a light knock rapped on the bedroom door, we both turned to see that Elena was standing in his doorway, slowly making her way into the room toward us.

"You disappeared." She murmured.

Damon's body went rigid at my side, just as he started loosening up, I mentally groaned. "I don't want to hear anymore," He said.

"I need you to understand why I'm doing this." Elena reasoned; this sounded like something I would say to Edward — in fact, it was similar to what I'd actually told him when I agreed to marry him those many, long months ago. At least I think it was, I don't really dwell on that kind of stuff any longer, now that my life was getting put back together with Damon.

"Why? It clearly doesn't matter what I think." Damon snapped uneasily.

"I'll be fine, Damon. I'll drink the elixir, Bonnie will kill Klaus, and then all of this will finally be over." Elena insisted; she sounded so sure that everything was going to be alright, that there was no chance that she would end up dead by the end of the night once the sacrifice was complete. I hated it. And from the looks of it, Damon hated it too.

"If it works." He replied in a gruff tone.

"It will work." Elena said forcefully.

"You _think _it will work. You _want _it to work. Why am I the only one who's convinced it won't? There has to be another way." Damon shook his head vigorously, as he argued the statement with Elena, there was no way around it, I wish Elena would see that. But, I wasn't getting into this conversation, instead I was just going to stand at my boyfriend's side and hold him back in case he tried doing something stupid, something that he will end up regretting.

"There isn't." Elena's voice dropped.

"And you're going to die, Elena." He stated flatly.

"And then I'll come back to life." She reminded him.

"That is not a risk I'm willing to take." He stared down at her, but Elena didn't back away as she replied in a small voice something along the lines of _I am_, taking his hands and telling him that it was her life, that it was her choice. I watched the crumbling look on my boyfriend's face, "I can't lose you."

"You won't." Elena drops her hands from his and goes to leave the room, but Damon was quick to intercept her.

A wild look appeared in Damon's eyes, "There is another way."

"What are you—" Damon had bitten into his wrist, causing Elena to cut herself off mid-sentence, her eyes went wide, "Damon, no!" She yelled, but before she could make an escape, Damon's wrist was smashed against her mouth, forcing his blood to slither down her esophagus. I watched in horror; I knew I wouldn't be able to push Damon away from Elena because of how strong he was compared to me, and I was thankful that Stefan had arrived, knocking his older brother's wrist from Elena's lips and shoving him away; Elena collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air, blood dripping from her mouth.

"What did you do?! Huh? What did you _do_?!" I'd never seen Stefan look so angry in the entire time that I've known him, the harsh, violent look that he gave his older brother had _me _scared that he would rip his brother's heart clean from his chest for even thinking of giving Elena his blood; Stefan moved toward Elena, his furious eyes never leaving Damon.

"I saved her life." He stated, looking over at the cowering Elena that looked almost heartbroken. "You're so bent on dying, at least this way I know you'll come back."

"As a vampire!" Stefan yelled in a growl. "She'll come back as a vampire!"

"It's better than nothing else."

"How could you, of all people, take that choice away from her?" Stefan seethed, the muscles in his jaw clenched as he stared menacingly at his older brother; I couldn't even believe what Damon had done. Yes, I wanted to save Elena, but I would never force that choice upon her, on entering the world of vampires _as_ a vampire.

Damon looked over at Elena once more. "Go ahead; wish me an eternity of misery. Believe me, you'll get over it." I watched how hateful Stefan instantly became as he rushed over to where his brother stood, pushing him back; Damon had a slight stumble but he remained on his feet.

"Stefan!" Elena cried.

Damon broke off a piece of wood and pushed Stefan against the wall with it, hatred and agony flooding my boyfriend's eyes as he growled fiercely through his teeth at his younger brother. "Admit it, you just wish you had the balls to do it yourself."

And then it happened all too quickly: Stefan had broken out into punching Damon repeatedly in the face as hard as he could, pushing as much strength into his blows as possible, as he beat into his brother's face with his fist several times in a row until Damon fell to the floor; lying on his back, blood was smeared on his face, the piece of wood had been knocked to the ground around the same time. But then it was swiftly back in Damon's hold, he knelt as he drove the wood through Stefan's abdomen. I gasped loudly, my hands flying to covering my mouth — had Damon _really _just stabbed his brother? From the look of crossing pain on Stefan's face as he started doubling over, my answer would be yes. Elena rushed over to her boyfriend and pushed Damon back, glaring at him.

"Get out of here!" She yelled; Alaric and Jenna came up the stairs.

"What the hell is going on?" Alaric's voice was frantic, and from the concern, I knew that it was no longer Klaus trapped inside of my history teacher's body. I knew that Stefan would not let him near Jenna, if it weren't to be true. Alaric goes toward his friend, but instead of attending to him, Ric only pushed him until Damon got to his feet, automatically leaving his bedroom.

"Oh, my god." Jenna gasped.

"Okay, Jenna, downstairs are some blood bags. Go get them now. Go!" Alaric commanded, Jenna quickly left my boyfriend's bedroom and Elena slowly, carefully, tentatively pulled the piece of wood from Stefan's abdomen; he groaned, putting his head on Elena's leg with his eyes closed.

"It's okay. It's okay. You're going to be okay." Elena softly reassured.

"I'm so sorry." He apologized against her jeans, his voice muffled.

"Shh, it's okay." Elena continued as if she hadn't heard him, her eyes met mine, as she looked up. I saw the hurt flashing in her eyes, and something tugged painfully at my heart. I knew that I had to be the one to talk to Damon, while Elena remained with Stefan, I knew she wouldn't want to see him right now, or any time soon, for what he did to his younger brother. I nodded once at her, taking a small breath as I passed by Ric, and exited Damon's bedroom to find where he'd run off to, passing Jenna on the stairs; she was returning to the room with blood bags for Stefan to regain his strength. The last thing I heard was Stefan telling Elena that he was sorry, before I stepped downstairs, immediately going to where I knew Damon would be: the library. I saw that Elijah was still there, Damon pouring himself a drink while Elijah was closing the wooden box that had contained the elixir.

"Well, it sounds like you won't need this anymore. Feeding her vampire blood rendered it useless." Elijah sounded fairly disappointed, did he feel that history was repeating itself, based on my limited knowledge of what Katherine did before she turned herself into a vampire. He looked over at Damon, "Tell Elena I'll be back before nightfall. We'll proceed as planned.

"We both know that elixir wouldn't have worked anyway." Damon said as he brought the glass to his lips.

"The problem, Damon, you talk a good game but you don't actually know anything." Elijah's voice was smooth and composed, just as it had been before when talking of the elixir. But there was that unknown emotion in his eyes, that I couldn't distinctly figure out. "She'll never forgive you. And never for a vampire... It's a very long time,"

Elijah took one look at me before leaving the library, and then exiting the Salvatore's home altogether. I made my way toward Damon, slowly; I wasn't entirely sure how we would talk about this, but I wanted to know what made him decide that feeding Elena his blood could be the only way to survive tonight. It pained my heart that it had been an option in his mind.

"I don't want to talk about it." Was the first thing to come from Damon when he acknowledged that I stepped into the room.

"Come on, Damon." I tried to keep my tone light.

"No. Bella." He said forcefully, speaking through his teeth. He was clearly angered, just like everyone else, but for some reason, I wasn't afraid to push.

"I'm not leaving this room until you tell me why you did that to Elena." I folded my arms firmly across my chest, narrowing my eyes as I glared at him, mashing my lips together into a tight line.

"Do you really wanna know?" Damon barely glanced at me.

"Yes." I nodded once.

"Too bad." Damon smirked at me, sipping his scotch as he exited the library. I fought the biggest urge to slap him square across his perfect face, and throw a giant fit that he wouldn't tell me anything, that we didn't keep secrets from each other. I was angry with him, for not letting me know why he did what he did, but I was just as angry as everyone else that he'd fed Elena his blood. It just wasn't right to me, in more ways than some. But I bit back my words, held my tongue, and let him walk; we had all day until he opened up about his hasty decision. Hopefully it didn't take that long.

* * *

**AN: **I know this was a shitty chapter. It wasn't my best effort. But I am trying to push things along so I could end the story, and start thinking of what to put for the Sequel. I know I shouldn't be thinking that far ahead, but I loved season 3, and I can't wait to start writing about the Original Family. I want season 2 to be over with; sorry that I'm anxious. I promise that the remainder of the story will be as best as I could possibly write. No hate on this chapter, though, please. If you have any questions or concerns, please private message me, I will be more than happy to answer anything that you want information on.


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